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On Friday, May 24, Concordia Lutheran Seminary (Edmonton) will be holding its Sacred Convocation in the Robert Tegler Student Centre at Concordia University College of Alberta. The event will be broadcast live, beginning at 7:00 p.m.  (MST). Visit http://www.concordiasem.ab.ca/CLSTV.php to watch online.

On Saturday, May 25, Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario) will hold its Call Service at Christ Lutheran Church in St. Catharines. The event will begin at 4:00 p.m. (EST) and can be watched online at http://new.livestream.com/accounts/771825/events/2122412.

The Canadian Lutheran will report placements online on Monday, May 27.

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Peggy Pedersen

VICTORIA, B.C. – Author Peggy Pedersen’s first poetry book—entitled A Lamb within the Fold—was released earlier this year and is now available for purchase. Peggy is a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Victoria, and a frequent contributor to The Canadian Lutheran magazine both in print and online.

The book begins with an introduction chronicling Peggy’s spiritual journey, which included early beginnings in the Southern Baptist church before making ventures into Shaivism, Hare Krishnas, Roman Catholicism, and Orthodox Judaism. A medical scare made Peggy return to the question of Christianity anew. Taking up her Bible, she writes, “I began to realize the depth of my sinfulness and how I had grieved God by it, especially by turning away from Him.”

Around this point, God came calling after Peggy, leading her into contact with a Finnish Lutheran theology student. “When I told him I recognized my sinfulness but was not able to improve,” she writes, “[he] told me that Christ had already forgiven me and received me back to Himself. It had nothing to do with being worthy. It was a gift. He came for sinners, so I qualified.”

This startling revelation, made clear to Peggy for the first time, was the impetus for the collection of poems now published in A Lamb within the Fold. It begins with the award-winning poem “The Gift,” a poem first published in 2010 in Tapestry, the national magazine of Lutheran Women’s Missionary League–Canada. The poem received third place in the poetry category of the Canadian Church Press’ 2011 awards. It is reprinted here with permission from Peggy Pedersen.

The Gift

How can I judge
When You have not judged me?
How can I withhold
When You have not withheld?
What do I have that Your love has not given?
I begged a drop of mercy.
You flooded me with heaven.

The book also contains prayers, meditations, and hymns in addition to poems. “I never intended them for publication,” Peggy explains in the introduction to the book. “Yet, because the few that have seen the light of day have in some way been of benefit to others, and since I was looking for a way to make a donation to my local Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, I have decided to publish them here. May God use these words to honour Him and bless others.”

Peggy is donating twenty percent of all profits to her local Lutheran Women’s Missionary League chapter.

To purchase a copy of A Lamb within the Fold, contact New Scriptorium Press at scriptorium@shaw.ca. The book costs $14 plus shipping (Shipping is $4.90 in Canada, $6.80 to the United States, and $10.90 to international addresses). An ebook version will made available in the coming weeks.

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by Ted Giese

Iron Man 3 is a superhero action film with some drama thrown in. As a story, it centers around the theme that actions have consequences. Seems simple enough. The movie starts out with Tony Stark, the man behind the Iron Mask, saying “A famous man once said we create our own demons.” Within minutes this is playing out, as we see a flashback to a New Year’s party in 1999. Here we see Stark in a one night stand with a promising young scientist, leaving her a note that says, “You know who I am” as he abandons her.

In these scenes we also see Stark brushing off a socially awkward young male scientist with the promise of an appointment that Stark never intends to keep. The optimistic man waits for Stark to come but he never does. Stark is shown lying and committing adultery and the viewer knows that these are the sins that are going to come back to haunt Stark; they will ultimately be the “demons” that he will have to face. The Epistle of James says, “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (1:14-15). Iron Man 3 is a film in which Stark’s “fully grown desires” bring forth death. The focus in this film is the man and not the machine.

The central villain of Iron Man 3 is the mysterious Mandarin. As an antagonist, the Mandarin is presented as a demon of the United State’s own making—one that wants to teach the USA a lesson for political reasons. Tony Stark seems to be an innocent bystander in all of this, caught up in the terror because of his own big mouth. The Mandarin’s true motives are not revealed until the film’s climax.

Dealing with these events (or not dealing with them) is Tony Stark, who is overcome with anxiety following the events of last summer’s blockbuster film The Avengers. He can’t sleep, he’s become detached from the one person he loves—Pepper Potts—, and he is consumed with worry about the possibility of future alien attacks. While the film does an admirable job exploring anxiety as compared to other super hero summer blockbusters, one is reminded that this is a popcorn movie and it never delves that deep into anxiety; it’s even occasionally played for laughs. Anyone with a very real anxiety disorder may find the film to be a little insensitive.

There is no one to tell Stark God’s words of comfort: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). There is no one to speak Christ’s words: “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” (Matthew 6:25-27).

Do not be anxious about your life.

In this film, Stark has made dozens of iron suits which allow him to fly better than the birds of the air, and when it comes to food and drink, he has everything that he needs and more. Yet he is anxious in the face of trouble. Material blessings are not a source of contentment for Stark, just as his iron suits aren’t the source of his confidence or courage. He has little in common with the poor man who finds contentment in simple work and simple things, and more in common with the king who struggles to enjoy even his grand works and grand things.

In this way, Iron Man 3 echoes the first two chapters of Ecclesiastes. Stark struggles to take stock of his life and answer the question, “Has he been blessed with abundance or cursed with it?” In the end he seems happier fighting external demons than internal ones. These external “demons”—the minions of the Mandarin—come complete with glowing red eyes and are full of ‘hell fire.’ But like the Mandarin, they are not what they appear to be. Surrounded by explosions and spectacle, Stark must wrestle with his own demons of vanity, selfishness, and anxiety. No iron suit, no matter how invincible, can protect him from these demons which plague him internally.

No iron suit, no matter how invincible, can protect him from the demons which plague him internally.

With a PG rating, this may look like a great action film for kids. Still, small children may find some of the scenes frightening and violent. The drama is also decidedly focused on Stark’s struggle with anxiety, a topic that may not appeal to young viewers. That being said Iron Man 3 has some laughs and delivers what people expect from a summer blockbuster: lots of explosions, plot twists, and heroics in the face of certain doom. For the casual viewer this film is a little inaccessible; it assumes that you know a lot going in. If you’ve never seen an Iron Man movie you may want to watch the first Iron Man and follow that up with The Avengers before jumping into Iron Man 3.

For a film that has, at its core, the theme of actions having consequences, in the end there were few lasting consequences for Starks. Posters for Iron Man 3 included the tagline “Unleash the power behind the armor;” it could have easily read “All’s well that ends well.” By the end of the film, Stark predictably concludes were he began. He answers the question “You know who I am” with “I am Iron Man.” While this movie wrestles with some deep topics, it’s important to remember that this isn’t Shakespeare and Tony Stark isn’t Hamlet; Iron Man 3 is a rip-roaring popcorn movie right down to the centre of its electromagnetic heart.

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Rev. Ted Giese is associate pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Regina, Saskatchewan.

WINNIPEG -

Reach Out Canada is designed to help everyone share their faith naturally in every-day situations as part of who they are in Christ. The event, being planned in conjunction with Lutheran Hour Ministries and Lutheran Laymen’s League of Canada, features Rev. Gregory Seltz (Speaker of The Lutheran Hour) and Rev. John Nunes (CEO of Lutheran World Relief).

In addition, Reach Out Canada will feature numerous workshops, focusing on topics as diverse as congregational evangelism, outreach for men, outreach for women, engaging pop-culture and modern technology, and immersing yourself in Scripture. Some of these workshops include:

1. “The Outreach Congregation: Urban/Suburban” with Stephen Klinck
2. “Pop-Culture Today: What’s God got to do with it? with Mathew Block
3. “Growing Your Outreach Efforts Even When Your Community Shrinks” with Rev. Dr. Glenn Schaeffer
4. “Building a Globally Mission Minded Community” with Polly Gregali
5. “Building Cultural Differences to Share the Gospel” with Rev. Dr. Leonardo Neitzel
6. “Sharking the Faith in Everyday Activities” with Rev. Larry Gajdos
7. “Manly Tools for Faith Sharing” with Richard P. Cohrs
8. “’Christ Alone’ in a Coexist World” with Stephen Klinck
9. “Sharing the Gospel in a Digital Age” with Rev. Dr. Mark Larson
10. “Connecting with Your Community” with Rev. Mark Dressler
11. “A Holistic Approach to Global Outreach” with Rev. Peter Kirby
12. “Funding Success! Strategies for Gaining $ Support for Mission” with Harold Melser
13. “Sharing Hope from Woman to Woman” with Helga Danielson
14. “Immersed in the Word: a Crisis Turns to Blessing” with Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee

Visit Lutheran Hour Ministries’ website for more information on workshops and the presenters.

The event will also share a plenary session with the National Youth Gathering and an outreach event at Winnipeg’s most popular tourist attraction, The Forks. In addition, attendees of both the National Youth Gathering and Reach Out Canada will gather together Sunday morning for a Celebration Service giving thanks to God for Lutheran Church–Canada’s 25th anniversary.

Registration is now open.

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Rev. Dr. Wilhelm Torgerson (right) greets Bishop Soramies

Bishop Soramies served many years as a missionary to Turkish immigrants to Germany. In the early 2000s, he was founding pastor of Istanbul Lutheran Church in Turkey. He speaks German and Turkish fluently, in addition to Finnish.

Bishop Soramies succeeds Bishop Matti Väisinen who is retiring. Bishop Väisinen—along with the Swedish Mission Province’s Bishop Roland Gustafsson and Bishop Thor Henrik With of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of Norway—consecrated Bishop Soramies at the installation service. More than 500 worshipers from all over Finland attended the event.

Rev. Dr. Wilhelm Torgerson, Adjunct Professor at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario) participated in the installation as a representative of both Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) and Germany’s Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church. He carried a letter from LCC’s President Robert Bugbee congratulating Bishop Soramies on his election.

“I thank God for the courageous witness you and your co-workers are providing in a society which needs the biblical Gospel of Christ very desperately,” President Bugbee wrote in the letter, “and for your dedication to work in a place where doctrine and theology in the established church have deteriorated tragically in recent decades.”

He continued: “Please know that, despite long distances, there are others of us around the world who stand close to you in the faithful confession of Jesus Christ, crucified and raised from the dead.”

The origins of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland date to 1999, when a group of Lutherans committed to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions organized the Luther Foundation Finland (LFF). The group represented confessional Lutherans within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (ELCF) who opposed the mainline church’s break from historic Lutheran doctrine, and sought to provide alternative ecclesiastical jurisdiction to clergy and churches which rejected the increasingly liberal theology of the national church.

The ELCF refused to recognize the LFF, and so the group of confessional Lutherans eventually affiliated with the Mission Province in Sweden. They received their own bishop in 2010. Earlier this year on March 16, confessional Lutherans in Finland officially formed the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, with 30 churches and 37 pastors. On April 20, the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of Norway was also officially established.

A new set of facts on faith in Canada are out. Statistics Canada has released the results of the 2011 National Household Survey (NHS) which gives an indication of various attributes of Canadian society, including the religious affiliation. Canada now has an approximate population of 32,852,300 people, and 67.3% of these identified themselves as affiliated somehow with the Christian faith. That’s down from 2001’s numbers when 77% of Canadians identified as Christian.

38.7% of Canadians identified themselves as Roman Catholic, making that denomination the largest per capita in Canada. The largest Protestant denomination per capita is the United Church of Canada, with 6.1% of the total population. The third largest is Anglicanism at 5%. Interestingly, the fourth largest group of Christians at 4.5% identified themselves simply as “Christian,” with no indication of denominational affiliation. The next largest group was Baptists at 1.9% of the Canadian population.

Lutherans are further yet down the list. 478,185 survey respondents identified themselves as Lutheran (compare that with 605,590 in 2001), making Lutheranism the ninth largest Christian response on the NHS. After the Baptists came the Orthodox with 550,690 respondents in all Orthodox denominations. Next are generic “Protestant” with no denomination given (550,965). Then come Pentecostals (478,705), just ahead of Lutherans. After Lutherans come Presbyterians with 472,385 respondents.

The largest group of Lutherans were in Ontario with 163,460. The next highest figures are in Western Canada, starting with 119,340 in Alberta; 71,475 in British Columbia; 63,765 in Saskatchewan; and 40,915 in Manitoba. The number of Lutherans declines considerably east of Ontario, with 7,200 in Quebec; 9,485 in Nova Scotia; 1,080 in New Brunswick; 425 in Newfoundland; and 260 in Prince Edward Island. Statistics Canada’s numbers do not record distinctions between the various Lutheran church bodies in Canada.

The NHS also records an increase in certain non-Christian faiths. The National Household Survey figures indicate 3% of those living in Canada in 2011 identified as Muslim, up from 2% in 2001. Hindus compose 1.5% of the population, while 1.4% are Sikh and 1.1% are Buddhist. According to Statistics Canada, recent immigration trends across the country are a major factor behind these numbers. People with these religious affiliations composed only 2.9% of immigrants who arrived in Canada before 1971. By contrast, 33% of immigrants who arrived between 2001 and 2011 were affiliated with these non-Christian religions.

The 2011 survey year was the first time this information was collected through a voluntary National Household Survey. Previously, the federal government distributed a mandatory, longer census form to selected households asking for similar information. Households selected for the NHS in 2011 were not required by law to respond, leading to varying participation rates across Canada. The federal government believed cancelling the mandatory long form would improve the privacy of Canadians but critics have argued the voluntary survey may lead to unreliable information for economic and social planning purposes. Indeed, Statistics Canada notes in its new report that “The [2011] estimates are derived from a voluntary survey and are therefore subject to potentially higher non-response error” than in previous years.

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James Morgan is a writer and former broadcaster living in Gatineau, Quebec where he is completing a Ph.D in History at the University of Ottawa. His home congregation is Trinity Lutheran near Gowanstown, Ontario, and he also worships at the Lutheran Tri-Parish of Western Quebec.

Back (left to right): Mark Galli, Rev. Dr. David Wendel, Rev. Mark Chavez, Rev. Ken Hennings, Rev. Dr. Joel Lehenbauer, Rev. Larry Vogel. Front (left to right): Rt. Rev. Ray Sutton, Rev. Prof. John Pless, Rev. Frederic Baue, Rev. Dr. John Stephenson, Very Rev. Dr. Jonathan Riches

DALLAS, Texas - A landmark ecumenical summit took place May 3-5, 2013 at Church of the Holy Communion in, Dallas, Texas. The theme of the meeting was “Biblical Teaching on Marriage and Sexuality.” Presentations and discussion focused on the shared historic understanding of marriage as a holy estate, divinely created by God to be the union of man and woman.

The gathering was the result of ongoing multi-lateral consultations between the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), Lutheran Church-Canada (LCC), The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS), and the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). The summit involved representatives from each denomination and included prayer, denominational presentations, and a lecture by Mark Galli, editor of Christianity Today magazine.

Galli’s presentation was titled, “Blest Be the Grace that Binds: The Gift and Beauty of Marriage as God Intends It.” He is the author of a number of books, including Beyond Smells and Bells, Chaos and Grace, God Wins, and forthcoming book Karl Barth: An Introductory Biography for Evangelicals.

As North American culture wrestles with issues of marriage and family, the participants of this ecumenical dialogue sought clarity and agreement on Scriptural teaching, with the intention of developing a common statement. A draft was presented and discussed, and a final form will be forthcoming. The statement is intended to provide clear, concise instruction to clergy and members of the participating denominations, but also to be an unequivocal affirmation of biblical teaching with regard to marriage between male and female as the essential and unchanging foundation for home, family, church, and society.

Rt. Rev. Ray Sutton, a bishop of ACNA and host for the summit, said of the gathering, “God calls His people in every generation to proclaim the clarity of the Gospel to the points of greatest confusion. In our generation, marriage and sexuality have become the points of cultural confusion that keep the western world from grasping the most important image of God’s relation to His people, marriage. Confessional believers must learn again to speak with one voice.”

Rev. Dr. John Stephenson, a professor at LCC’s Concordia Theological Seminary in, St. Catharines, Ontario, affirmed the gathering, stating: “Our unforced consensus on this bitterly contested topic rests on wide-ranging but still incomplete agreement on the Christian Faith as a whole. As the participants get to know and cherish each other as brothers and sisters in Christ and to come together in prayer, we hope that the Lord will graciously move us toward oneness as His disciples.”

Rev. Ken Hennings, president of the Texas District of the LCMS, reflecting on the summit, stated, “Attending this meeting was very encouraging as leaders of different church bodies focused on the goodness and blessing of marriage between one man and one woman and how to share this positive view with our culture.”

“Our Lord immensely blessed us in these Anglican-Lutheran consultations,” said Rev. Mark Chavez, General Secretary of the North American Lutheran Church. He continued, “The Lord has gathered us as one in Him with strong agreement in our confession of the Christian faith. Our agreement includes the biblical norms for marriage and sexuality. I am hopeful for our common statement and for mutually presenting a clear biblical teaching of marriage and sexuality throughout our churches that will be a blessing for all of North America.”

Other participants included Very Rev. Dr. Jonathan S. Riches, Reformed Episcopal Seminary (ACNA); Rev. Dr. Frederic Baue (LCMS); Rev. Dr. Joel Lehenbauer, Executive Director of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (LCMS); Rev. Prof. John Pless, Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (LCMS); Rev. Larry Vogel, Associate Executive Director of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations, (LCMS); and Rev. Dr. David Wendel, Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry and Ecumenism (NALC).

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by Harold Ristau

It is no secret that, as church membership and attendance decrease, many Christians are concerned about the future of the Church in North America. When we look at the Church as a human organization, its short term future may in fact look bleak. But when we rightly view it as God’s creation and possession, we can be filled with great hope and joy.

Johann Gerhard

When one reads the sermons and letters of many Lutheran Fathers of the past, one quickly discovers how similar their concerns were to our own. Just as we do today, their communities often worried about declining membership, the lack of young people in the pews, the demand to make services and preaching more “relevant”, and too little offerings—in short, they worried about the overall health of the Church. As Solomon writes, “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

In my devotional readings I have recently re-discovered a work by sixteenth century theologian and pastor Johann Gerhard entitled Sacred Meditations. In this book, Gerhard explores the nature of the Church. Gerhard uses allegories, rooted in biblical motifs, to offer comfort for the faithful who love the Church yet worry about its survival. They also stand as a warning to those who have only negative and critical things to say about its present state.

Gerhard challenges us to identify ourselves not only with the church of our own short life-span, but with that of the Catholic Church throughout all of history. Although he was a sharp dogmatician and a respected academic, this book is written simply—as a direct dialogue with the soul, couching profound theological reflections in simple prayers. He does not simply write about spiritual topics; he speaks about them poetically.

Consider Gerhard’s picture of the Church as a ship:

The Church is that ship that carries Christ and His disciples (Matthew 8:23), and transports us at long last to the port of eternal blessedness. The Church navigates her established course through the sea of this age with the rudder of faith, having God as her pilot, angels for oarsmen, and the company of all the saints for her passengers. The mast in her middle is the cross of salvation, on which is suspended the sail of the evangelical faith, by which she is lead by the breath of the Holy Spirit to the security of eternal rest.

The Church is that ship that carries Christ and His disciples, and transports us at long last to the port of eternal blessedness.

How often do we panic in our sailing, though we are fully aware that Christ the Lord and Creator rides with us below deck, peacefully sleeping? Gerhard admonishes us to hold fast to faith, and to look ahead to our destination point in glory with bright and high expectations:

You have been carried in that ship. See that you do not throw yourself into the sea of the world (Matthew 8:25) before you arrive at port. Pray, lest you be absorbed by storms of affliction and the waves of temptation.

In a similar way, Gerhard compares the Church to a garden infused with sacramental imagery. We often hear in sermons about the importance of the sacraments in the walk of faith, but sometimes we have a difficult time conceiving why they are indispensable. In lovely picture language, Gerhard paints a canvas compelling us to envision our position before God in terms of spirit, water, and blood:

The Church is that vine that God has planted in the field of this world, watered with His own blood, surrounded with the protection of angels, having constructed the winepress of His own passion in her, having removed the stones and offensive things from her…You are called into the Lord’s vineyard (Matthew 20:1).

Even in his rebukes, we are edified by Gerhard’s homiletic gifts. When calling us to a life of holiness, our free justification through Christ is implicit in his appeal:

See that you labor strenuously. Let the thought of the denarius ease the labours of the day. You are the vine of the Lord. Throw away all the worthless branches, all the fruitless works of the flesh. Regard all the time of your life as a time of pruning. You are a branch in the true vine (John 15:1). See to it that you remain in it and bear much fruit, because the heavenly farmer takes away the branches that do not bear fruit and prunes them, that they may bear more copious fruit.

The relationship between faith and good works, which are often unnecessarily juxtaposed by Christians, is effectively united in the traditional Lutheran language of Law and Gospel. With pruning, vines naturally produce fruit. Through repentance and suffering, Christians naturally produce good works. In driving this point home, can one think of a gentler image than God as our gardener and we, the Church, as His precious garden?

Can one think of a gentler image than God as our gardener and we, the Church, as His precious garden?

An equally gentle image of the Church is that of a woman. Traditionally, because Christ calls Himself the groom, the Church is depicted as His bride. When this motif is kept in mind, the believer hears many segments of Scripture with new ears. God sees you and me as His precious beautiful bride, covered by the wedding garments of Jesus Christ’s righteousness:

The Church is that woman clothed with the sun (Revelation 12:1) because she is clothed with Christ’s righteousness. She tramples the moon underfoot because she despises the world, which is subject to manifold changes. You have clothed yourself by faith (Galatians 3:27) and you have been covered with the Sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2; Revelation 12:1). See to it then that you tread the moon, that is, all the earthly things, underfoot and esteem all these things little in comparison to the good things of heaven.

God sees us in a way that we cannot imagine ourselves; it seems too good to be true. When we begin to view God’s people through the eyes of Christ, our attitude towards His Church is transformed. Gerhard helps us see the Church in this way, building on the pictures found in Holy Scriptures. Through them, Gerhard leads us to walk by faith and not by sight: we see our own church as a community of sinners, “of whom I am the worst”; but He regards us now as glorious and perfect saints—as His bride—because of the atonement of His Son.

For those who mock, despise, and distrust the Church, however, Gerhard has harsh words, words particularly important today when the temptation to replace church with personal spirituality at home and alone is all too common. The Church isn’t just the bride of Christ; it is also our mother, and we need to respect her as such.

Contemplate, devout soul, the dignity of the Church, and beware lest you engage in anything unworthy of her. The Church is a mother, so beware lest you despise her voice. She is a mother so you ought always cling to her breasts. The Church’s breasts are the Word and Sacraments. The Church is a virgin. If then you are really her son, abstain from the embraces of the world. You are a member of the virgin. See to it that you do not associate the members of the virgin with prostitutes and with Satan through sin. You are the bride of Christ. See that you do not send away the pledge of the Holy Spirit that has been given to you…. Shine with the oil of your faith, lest in the coming of the Bridegroom you may be forced to wish for it in vain.

The Church is a mother, so beware lest you despise her voice.

Too often churches today, desperately trying to produce more active members, have begun to panic—like a salesman who has knocked on far too many doors with far too few sales. But the Church is not a possession of man. It’s not a club or a business. It is Christ’s sacred Body, heaven’s powerful ark, God’s beautiful garden, the Son of Man’s precious Bride, and our holy mother.

Contemplate, devout soul, this dignity of the Church and give the thanks owed to God. Indeed, the benefits that God grants through the Church are great, but they are not obvious to everyone. It is like a closed garden and a sealed fountain (Song of Solomon 4:12). Therefore no one recognizes these highest blessings in the Church unless he himself is in it. This ship is struck with various storms of persecution (Matthew 8:25). This vine is lifted up by being bound and enlarged by being cut back (John 15:2). The infernal dragon himself plots against this woman in many ways (Revelation 12:7).

The Church is a beautiful lily, but a lily between thorns (Song of Solomon 2:1). The most beautiful garden is the Church, but only when the north wind of tribulation blows through it, do its aromatic spices at last flow out…. The Church is the spiritual mother, but she is forced to stand under the cross, just as Mary, from whom Christ was born into this world, was standing under the cross (John 19:25).

The tribulations that we face as Christ’s Church are themselves instruments God uses for our spiritual growth: “The vine is lifted up by being bound, and enlarged by being cut back,” as Gerhard says. There is no doom and gloom underlying this sermon, despite the promises of many difficulties and trials. Did the persecuted Christians of the second century curse the sky because their congregation no longer had an active youth group? Did the Reformers join their adversaries because their Sunday schools had more children? Throughout his writings, Gerhard reminds us that God’s grace is sufficient for us. The Church is bigger than one generation, and any one of our own subjective experiences.

The tribulations that we face as Christ’s Church are themselves instruments God uses for our spiritual growth.

Gerhard challenges us to remain faithful to the Church and her doctrine at all costs, as we fight a spiritual war. It often takes a lot of energy, perseverance, and deliberation. And the victories on the battle field may not always be obvious to every soldier fighting. But when we remain faithful to this call of duty, the death of every Christian is that of a martyr’s:

Whoever does not have a share in the Church militant will never have a share in the Church triumphant. O good Jesus, who has led us into the Church militant, lead us also at long last into that Church triumphant.

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Rev. Dr. Harold Ristau is a chaplain with the Canadian Armed Forces and the author of At Peace with War: A Chaplain’s Meditations from Afghanistan.

by Ted Giese

The movie 42 (The Jackie Robinson 2013 Bio-Pic) is about the life of two Christians—Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson—and how they lived their Christian faith in their vocations. Rickey was the General Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers and Robinson was a player on the team. On the surface it looks like it’s simply a bio-pic about the first African American Major League baseball player and the events surrounding his first season with the Dodgers (1945-46). But if you dig deeper, the film presents the Christian faith in a frank and open way that is inseparable from the central characters’ story. You know this will be a different film early on when Branch Rickey—while looking through possible players from the Negro League—settles on Robinson, saying, “He’s a Methodist, and I’m a Methodist, God’s a Methodist, we can’t go wrong.”

At the core of the film is an interesting question about vocation. That year in baseball history there were many African American ball players playing in the Negro League, but only one set to play in the Major League. Rickey was ready for the flack he’d receive for bringing a black player into the white world of Major League baseball but he wasn’t sure if Robinson was ready to be that player. He needed to know, so Rickey interviewed Robinson. He knew Robinson’s temper could be a problem and that Robinson would have to keep it under wraps to succeed. Rickey says to Robinson, “We win if the world is convinced of two things: that you’re a fine gentleman and a great baseball player … like our Saviour you’ve gotta have the guts to turn the other cheek. Can you do it?”

Like our Saviour, you’ve gotta have the guts to turn the other cheek.

Robinson replies, “You give me a uniform, you give me a number on my back, I’ll give you the guts.” Unlike the other African American ball players that year, Robinson had an additional task in his vocation: he had to win the hearts and minds of a nation struggling with racism and segregation, and he had to do it by denying himself, denying his temper, his pride, and his will. He had to not fight back when spit upon, when persecuted, and when called the worst racial slurs.

His vocation was more than just playing hard and fair baseball to win as a team player; he had to play ball under the microscope. At one point, Rickey says to Robinson in a moment of deep need, “You’re living the sermon, 40 days in the wilderness.” Robinson isn’t a Christ figure in 42 but he is an example of what Jesus talks about in Luke Chapter 9. As followers of Christ, Christians are called to “deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Christ.” Robinson was called to do this publicly every time he stepped onto the field; to be a gentleman, to play good ball and to take whatever the world threw at him. He had to let God be the one who would take vengeance.

The real Jackie Robinson

If you’re looking for a movie this year that deals with America’s history of overcoming racism then 42 is your movie. The only caution is that while the film is rated PG-13, it is rated that way for thematic elements including language; the language gets very racist in parts and is intend to make you feel uncomfortable, which it does. If you are sensitive to this or if you have a hard time with this particular theme you’ll want to take that into consideration before watching the film.

The beauty of 42 is its character study of a man living out his faith in Jesus in the midst of daily trials and tribulations while living out his vocation as husband, father, and baseball player. It shows vividly how the choices made day in and day out make a difference in life, and how denying ourselves and following Christ Jesus takes guts and isn’t easy.

Viewers who are only vaguely aware of Scripture, or who are only just beginning to learn about the Christian faith, may not at first see the connection between some of the Scripture references made in the film and the events the film portrays. But the mature Christian watching this film, the Christian who has lived faith out in the world will know all about picking up the cross and following Jesus. In this way, 42 is film that invites personal reflection. Robinson was able to make giant strides in the areas of racism and racial discrimination as he carried his cross with the help of Branch Rickey and many of his team mates on the Dodgers. 42 shows this story in an inspiring way, and is an encouragement to anyone struggling with the challenges of living out faith in daily life.

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Rev. Ted Giese is associate pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Regina, Saskatchewan.

EDMONTON

The day begins with the Baccalaureate service at 10:00 a.m. in the Tegler Centre. The Baccalaureate is a worship service for students, their family and friends, and CUCA’s faculty and staff. Later in the day, at 2:00 p.m., Convocation itself will take place in the Northlands Edmonton Expo Centre. Both events are free and open to the public.

A few days after the event, CUCA will be posting video of the Baccalaureate Service and Convocation Ceremony on its YouTube channel here.

For a more detailed schedule of the day’s events, visit CUCA’s website here.

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by Mathew Block

It’s Monday afternoon. We’re in Israel, standing in the ruins of Caesarea on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Though built more than two thousand years ago, the place is still a marvel to behold. It was once a major sea port, and though some of the great harbour has slipped into the sea, much of the city is still visible to enjoy. You can walk through the hippodrome, where the hooves of horses once thundered in great races, riders urging them on from their chariots, the audience cheering wildly from stone bleachers along the sides. Here also is a large open-air theatre, where crowds no doubt wept over tragedies and laughed at comedies during regular drama festivals.

In Caesarea, you can also visit the remains of a palace built by Herod the Great. Yes, that Herod: the king who once ordered the murder of all boys in Bethlehem two years old and younger, in an attempt to kill the infant Jesus. It’s a shocking contrast: in Caesarea, Herod invested his energies to build something beautiful, majestic, magnificent; in Bethlehem, he slaughtered newborn babes, worried one of them was after his crown.

This is the Holy Land, a place of paradox for Christian believers. We come to see ancient things, to connect with the stories of our past. But they are, we must confess, stories that bring equal parts pain as pleasure. Like the plays once performed in Caesarea’s theatre, there are both tragedies and comedies—sorrows and happy endings. But unlike plays performed upon a stage, these events are all too real. Nor are we mere spectators in the event; we are the actors.

This is the Holy Land, a place of paradox for Christian believers.

The Incarnation

During our trip, we visited Bethlehem in Palestine. We saw the place where tradition states the angels appeared to shepherds as they watched their flocks by night. We explored caves, similar to the type in which some scholars believe Jesus was born. We even visited the Church of the Nativity, a church built where tradition states the birth of Christ actually happened.

Visiting the Holy Land drives home for us the mystery of the Incarnation—not just because this is where Jesus was born, but rather because this is where Jesus lived. We go to Nazareth, where He grew up. We see Capernaum, the village He moved to once He began his ministry. We travel by boat on the Sea of Galilee, the place where He once walked upon the waters, where He calmed storms and granted faith to a doubting heart. We see the land in which He walked, in which He taught, in which He lived and interacted with family, friends, strangers, and enemies… This is the place God became man—where “the Word became flesh,” as John writes, “and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14).

Note carefully that last word: us. We too are part of this story. Though we did not live when Jesus walked the hills of Galilee, we too are the people with whom He made His dwelling. God came down in the person of Jesus Christ, and He did so to live with us. The stories of Scripture are not only the history of a particular people in a particular place and time; they are God’s revelation to all people wherever and whenever they live.

God reaches down

Ruins at Caesarea.

As we walk where Jesus walked, we remember that our God is not a God who stays up in heaven, disconnected from the world He has created. Instead, He comes down in grace to meet with real people—real sinners—where they are. He lived among the Jewish people then; He still lives among us now.

Christians believe that God became a Man in Jesus Christ, and that He lived and died in the Holy Land. But actually standing on a hill where He taught, seeing the towns in which He lived, looking into the empty tomb… these things remind us just how real the stories are. This is history. God lived here. These are places where He visibly and powerfully acted. Visiting the Holy Land makes the tangibility of God’s presence and grace real in a way which we often forget elsewhere in the world.

Because God reached down here in this place at that one particular point in history so long ago, we can trust God is still able to reach down to us today. Just as Christ taught then in the synagogue in Capernaum, He speaks His Word to us in Holy Scripture, revealing our sins through the Law and speaking forgiveness over us through the Gospel. The Father touches us in Baptism, declaring us to be His beloved children, just as then He declared the same of His Son at the Jordan River. Christ bids us come to eat His flesh and drink His blood today, just as He fed the multitudes on more than one occasion with loaves and fish.

Finally, and most importantly, the very real cross He died on for you and me promises release from the punishment of sin. And His empty tomb promises life to all who believe in Him. We too will die, but we will not stay dead. Our tombs will be empty too.

This is the power of visiting the Holy Land. We remember that even though the stories in our bibles may have taken place in a distant land, they matter enormously to our faith in the here and now.

More than stories

Top image: Ruins of Capernaum. A fourth-century synagogue has been rebuilt where the synagogue Jesus taught in once stood. Middle image: Angel sculpture at the Shepherd’s Fields church. Bottom: Pilgrims wade into the Jordan River at the site where tradition states Jesus was baptized.

Our journey to Caesarea made that particularly clear. If, like me, you’re not ethnically Jewish, this city is particularly important; for it was here that God made it abundantly clear the Gospel was for Gentiles too. Spurred on by a vision he had in Joppa, Peter went to Caesarea to meet with the Roman Centurion Cornelius. “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him,” Peter explained, “but God has shown me that I should call any man impure or unclean” (Acts 10:28). “I now realize how true it is,” he continued, “that God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right” (10:34-35). And then, for the first time, Peter proclaimed the Gospel to Gentiles.

This place—built by the king who tried to snuff out Jesus’ life when He was still a baby—is the place where the Good News comes to Gentiles. Human attempts to prevent Christ must always fail. We see that in a powerful way in Caesarea. For it was here that Herod Antipas—Herod the Great’s grandson—met his end. Herod Antipas had set himself against the Church. Luke tells us that this “King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them” (Acts 12:1). He first had James, the brother of John, executed with a sword, and when he saw the popularity of the act, he had Peter arrested too. But God sent an angel to save Peter from prison, frustrating Herod’s plans.

Following this, Herod went from Judea to Caesarea. There he was met by a crowd to whom he delivered a public address. Luke records the rest for us:

“[The people] shouted, ‘This is the voice of a god, not of a man.’ Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died” (Acts 12:22-23).

The persecutor of the Church was destroyed. “But the Word of God,” Luke tells us, “continued to increase and spread” (Acts 12:24). Such stories in Scripture do not mean we will never face difficulties in this life and that our persecutors will always be dispatched. Far from it. Herod Antipas succeeded in executing James after all, and Peter too would later be crucified in the reign of Nero. The promise is instead that the Holy Spirit will accomplish His mission, ensuring the continued proclamation of the Gospel to the ends of the earth, engendering faith in those who hear.

Jesus promised the same to Peter once. Peter had just confessed, prompted by the Holy Spirit, that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus commends him and promises that the Church built on his confession will never fall. “On this rock I will build my church,” He says, “and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18).

It’s now Wednesday. We’re standing in the ruins of a different Caesarea: Caesarea Philippi, the town near which Peter’s great confession took place. Most of us know the story, but few of us realize how the place where it took place—Caesarea Philippi—actually matters. Caesarea Philippi was a Greco-Roman town, not a Jewish settlement. A temple to Caesar Augustus had been built there by Herod the Great about fifteen years before Jesus was born. The entire area was known as the Paneas—an area devoted to the god Pan. A temple was built in Pan’s honour during the first century AD, and a temple to Zeus also came near the end of that century. In other words, this area—this region of Caesarea Philippi—was a Pagan stronghold in the Holy Land. So when Christ promised that the gates of Hell would not prevail against the Church, He was making that promise in a place where Pagan religion did seem to be encroaching on the people of God.

When we visit Caesarea Philippi today, however, we find Christ is right: the once-mighty shrines to Zeus and Pan have crumbled to dust, but the Church of Christ is still going strong. Christ has kept His promise. Things may sometimes look bleak and the enemies of God may appear to be winning, but He is with us always, “to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

To Jerusalem

The story of Peter’s great confession ends with the note that, “from that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things… and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Matthew 16:21). So too, in our journey through the Holy Land, we would at last make our way to Jerusalem.

Top image: Ruins of the hippodrome in Caesarea. Second image from top: Ruins of Pagan temples at Caesarea Philippi. Second image from bottom: Jewish men pray at the Western Wall. Bottom image: African pilgrims visit the Garden Tomb.

Today is Friday and we’re standing at the Western Wall in the old city of Jerusalem. This wall dates back to the time of Christ. In fact, it was the outer wall which surrounded the Second Temple grounds in Jesus’ day. The Temple is now gone, razed by the Romans in 70 AD. A mosque—the Dome of the Rock—has since been built over the site. But this section of the outer-wall (with additional sections added to it since then) still stands.

It is a remarkable thing to touch stones so old—to know that Christ too looked upon this wall when he visited the Temple. A thousand years before Christ, God promised to dwell here in a special way. When Solomon built the First Temple, God promised him: “I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my name will be there forever,” He said. “My eyes and my heart will always be there” (2 Chronicles 7:16). Inside, the Holy of Holies housed the Ark of the Covenant. Above it, between statues of angels, was the Mercy Seat. Here the “Lord Almighty,” we read, was “enthroned between the cherubim” (1 Samuel 4:4). God made His presence known at the Mercy Seat in a special way. For this reason, none could approach it except the High Priest, and him only once a year.

By the time the Romans took authority over Israel, the Ark of the Covenant was long lost. Solomon’s Temple was destroyed and a new Temple was built in its place. It too had a Holy of Holies. It too was believed to be indwelt by the presence of God. But a time was coming when God’s people would no longer be called to worship Him in a temple or on a holy mountain (John 4:23). God’s presence was coming into the world in a new way. Christ was coming.

In Christ, God became finally and perfectly present among men. He became man, for “in Christ, all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). He came to dwell among us, though not as we expected. He came to die. But no one would take His life from Him; He laid it down of His own accord (John 10:18). His death would not be accomplished through Herod the Great’s scheming, nor could His message be squelched by Pagan religions and the gates of Hell. No, He died according to God’s plan. In Jerusalem, He was arrested. He was beaten. He was led out to the Place of the Skull and crucified. He took upon Himself the sins of all people—past, present, and future—and received the punishment we deserved. And on a hill, two thousand years ago, God died.

In Christ, God became finally and perfectly present among men.

But He did not stay dead! The tomb in which He lay was empty three days later. Two places in Jerusalem today purport to be His tomb. On our final day in Israel, we visited them both: they’re still empty. If neither of them are the real tomb, it doesn’t matter; wherever the true tomb is, it’s empty. Jesus Christ arose, bringing with Him the promise of resurrection to all who believe in Him. And as He lived then, He still lives. He is still present, still dwelling among us, still active in the Church today.

Visiting the Holy Land is a wonderful reminder of the incarnational mercy of God. He still cares for real people and meets them in real ways, just as He did two thousand years ago among the disciples. But even if you never visit the Holy Land yourself, you can know this: God dwells with you too. Everywhere the Scriptures are read, everywhere the sacraments are administered, everywhere hearts believe in the Good News of Jesus Christ, He is present. Whatever trial you encounter, God has promised to be with you: “Never will I leave you,” He says, “never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). And God always keeps His promises.

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Mathew Block is editor of The Canadian Lutheran and communications manager for Lutheran Church–Canada. Images are by Mathew and Leah Block. Title image: A trail in the Galilee region leading up to the Mount of Beatitudes. This Holy Land Tour was a Canadian Church Press event, and was sponsored by the Israel Government Tourism Office.

WINNIPEG

Canadian Lutheran World Relief
600-177 Lombard Avenue
Winnipeg, MB  R3B 0W5

CLWR’s Winnipeg warehouse (549 King Edward Street, Winnipeg, MB, R39 0N9) has not moved. “We Care” kits and quilts should still be shipped to the King Edward location. The addresses of the Western (New Westminster, B.C.) and Eastern (Waterloo, Ontario) offices also remain unchanged.

A proposed rent increase was a main factor in choosing to move. The new office is a smaller space and better configured to current staffing requirements. The cost of renovations at the new office are being covered by the tenant’s improvement allowance provided in the new lease agreement.

The move took place April 25-26. There may be some disruption to phone and email services as CLWR settles into its new location.

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Kathy Bender poses with a child blessed through the BC Mission Boat Society’s ministry.

PARKSVILLE, B.C. - Kathy Bender, former Executive Director and Missionary with the BC Mission Boat Society (BCMBS) passed away April 18 after a five year struggle with cancer.

In an announcement on its Facebook page, the BC Mission Boat Society called Kathy “a great friend.” “We mourn her passing,” it read, “but celebrate Christ’s triumph over the grave; Kathy’s soul is now in heaven.”

Kathy Bender served on the Board of Directors of the BCMBS as President from 2001-2007. In 2003, she left her former career to join BCMBS as a part-time outreach worker, and was instrumental in helping the ministry transition from summer ministry to year-round ministry. She became Executive Director in 2007.

A memorial service for Kathy was held April 22 at the Bradley Centre in Parksville, B.C.

The BC Mission Boat Society is an affiliated outreach organization of Lutheran Church-Canada.

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ST. CATHARINES, Ontario

As students increasingly choose to shop online for textbooks, the seminary’s bookstore is not seeing as much traffic as it used to. As a result, the bookstore plans to hold mainly hard-to-get textbooks as well as second-hand books in the future. But there is also a way for the seminary to benefit from the modern online shopping trend. CLTS has created a virtual shop for both Amazon Canada and Amazon USA. When students purchase their textbooks through these Amazon “shops,” the seminary receives a financial benefit from the purchases without the student paying any more for the books.

LCC members can support the seminary in this way. Anything you buy at Amazon can benefit the seminary if you enter Amazon through the links below. This applies to books, electronics, housewares, and anything else sold on Amazon. The price doesn’t go up; it costs you nothing more. But Amazon pays a portion of the proceeds to the seminary just for the referral.

Enter Amazon through the following links in order to support the seminary through everyday shopping:

Amazon Canada: http://astore.amazon.ca/concoluthethe-20
Amazon USA: http://astore.amazon.com/concoluthet07-20

The links will be permanently available on the bookstore page of the CLTS’ website here.

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EDMONTON

“Challenges can be a good thing,” CLS Interim President Norman Threinen writes in a letter announcing the campaign. “They help us do extraordinary things.”

“In the context of our seminary,” he writes, “we saw last year how a challenge enabled us to raise $240,000 in five weeks. What a blessing that was! What an encouragement to those of us who labour on  your behalf to prepare men for the ministry of our church!”

CLS is asking LCC members to prayerfully consider participating in the campaign. Cheques should be made payable to Concordia Lutheran Seminary, and should be marked “Matching Grant.” They may be sent to:

Concordia Lutheran Seminary
7040 Ada Boulevard
Edmonton, AB  T5B 4E3

“We know, of course, that your gifts to the seminary will not be primarily motivated by this challenge,” Interim President Threinen writes. “It is your love for God and your desire to see pastors prepared for the Gospel ministry in the Church that will motivate you. But it is nice to know that your gift will go twice as far because it is being matched.”

To read the full letter, visit CLS’ website here. The Matching Grant challenge ends June 15.

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Frank Belden

WEST KELOWNA, B.C. - On the morning of April 16, 2013, Frances (Frank) Patrick Belden entered into glory. Frank was elected as a lay-member to Lutheran Church–Canada’s (LCC) Board of Directors at the 2011 convention, and served until late February 2013 when he resigned after being diagnosed with late stage cancer.

“From the beginning of his brief time on our Board of Directors, Frank Belden was a thoughtful listener and speaker at our meetings,” reflected President Robert Bugbee. “He also began putting his fundraising experience to work in helping the Synod arrange for the upcoming Pastors and Deacons Conference. We’ll deeply miss his expertise in these kinds of projects in the coming years.”

Frank was born in Kansas in 1943. He served in Vietnam with the U.S. Army in the 1960s, and emigrated to Pembroke, Ontario in 1970. He worked many years in banking before being recruited by Concordia University College of Alberta (Edmonton) in 1982, at which time he began his career in fundraising for not-for-profits. He supervised all fundraising activities, business affairs, capital projects, and instructional planning of the college for eight years.

He became Regional Director for Canada for the “Alive in Christ” campaign in the Lutheran Church (1984-1986). He also joined the Association of Lutheran Development Executives, becoming the first Canadian in this international organization which promoted standards for ethical fundraising. Following his time at Concordia, he worked with the Edmonton Public Library and the Penticton Hospital Medical Foundation. He retired in 2004 to Summerland, British Columbia with his wife Deborah, though he continued to work for periods of time with the Hospital Foundation with the CNIB, Habitat for Humanity, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and the BC Kidney Foundation.

In later years, Frank suffered significant ill health. He underwent open heart surgery and in 2005 received a heart transplant. In 2009, he suffered kidney failure and received a kidney transplant. After a brief battle with cancer, Frank was admitted to Moog and Friends Hospice House in Penticton April 15 of this year. He passed away in the early morning of April 16, with his wife Deborah at his side.

“I’m especially thankful for the calm and steady faith God gave him during the weeks of his struggle with cancer,” said President Bugbee. “He modeled out a patient trust in Christ, and I’m glad for the joy he now has in his real, lasting home.”

Frank is survived by his wife Deborah, his brother Joseph Edward and sister Catherine Ellen, son Thomas, and many nephews and nieces.

A funeral service is planned for 9:30 a.m. April 27 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in West Kelowna.

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President Semmler (left) congratulates Bishop-elect Henderson

AUSTRALIA – Rev. John Henderson was elected Bishop of the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) April 22, 2013.

The election was made on the first day of business at the LCA’s National Convention, which also made the decision to change the title of the synodical head from “President” to “Bishop.” The convention was preceded by the General Pastor’s Conference last week, which had endorsed two candidates for the office of president: Rev. Henderson and Rev. David Altus.

“I am deeply appreciative and humbled in relation to the task you have placed in front of me,” Rev. Henderson said. “I hope that in Christ’s name I will be worthy of this task.”

Rev. Henderson has been Principal of Australian Lutheran College, LCA’s post-secondary institute, since 2009. He was ordained in 1982, and served parishes in four LCA districts until 2001. He was Vice President of the Lutheran Church of Australia from 2006 to 2011, and a member of General Church Council from 2003 to 2011.

Bishop-elect Henderson addresses the convention.

He has also been involved in broader ecumenical work, serving as General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in Australia from 2002 to 2008. He was a member of the LCA’s Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations, a representative at the Lutheran/Roman Catholic Dialogue, a founding member of the Regional Interfaith Dialogue SA Asia (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with the Indonesian government), and co-founder of the Australian National Dialogue of Christians, Muslims and Jews.

Lutheran Church–Canada’s (LCC) President Robert Bugbee was invited to speak at the General Pastor’s Conference, and to bring greetings to the General Convention on behalf of LCC.

“Our Canadian church joins many others in congratulating Bishop-elect Henderson,” said President Bugbee, “and we ask God to give him the wisdom and energy he’ll need to do his work faithfully. We continue to thank God for the close ties between LCC and the LCA, and hope that the Lord will use this new leader to deepen that relationship, which has come to mean so much to us.”

Earlier this year, LCA President Mike Semmler announced he would not be seeking re-election. His retirement will take effect in July, at which point Rev. Henderson will be installed as Bishop.

“It’s a bit of an emotional moment for us to bid farewell to President Semmler,” said President Bugbee. “He has proven himself to be a real friend to the Canadian church. I look forward to honouring him publicly during our convention time here in Adelaide, Australia.”

In addition to the celebration of the outgoing president and incoming bishop, the General Convention has seen the LCA struggle over the issue of the women’s ordination. “The question of ordaining women to the pastoral office continues to be a contentious one for the Lutheran Church of Australia,” President Bugbee reports. “It is clear that the convention is quite divided in the matter. The national pastors’ conference asked for current dialogues to continue, and for other discussions to intensify during the coming three years.”

The Lutheran Church of Australia’s General Convention ends Wednesday, April 24.

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Images courtesy of the Lutheran Church of Australia.

ST. LOUIS, Missouri

The following three candidates have given consent to serve if elected President of the LCMS: current serving President, Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison (1,111 nominating votes); Rev. Dr. Herbert C. Mueller, Jr. (140 nominating votes); and Rev. Dr. David. P.E. Maier (126 nominating votes).

As part of a new process, elections for President of the LCMS will take place prior to the National Convention. Four weeks before the convention takes place, the Secretary of Synod will provide two delegates from each congregation the opportunity to vote for one of the three candidates for President. Voting delegates will be those who previously represented the congregation at the last district convention, if at all possible. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes, another vote will take place.

All offices other than President will be voted on during the National Convention, which is scheduled for July 20-25 and is entitled “Baptized for this moment.” For more details on the nominees for President, and for the full list of nominees for all offices of the LCMS, please visit the LCMS’ website here.

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GUELPH, Ontario – Lutheran Church–Canada’s Committee for the Care of Church Workers and their Families is sponsoring a “Ministry as Curiosity” conference June 18-20 at Guelph Bible Conference Centre.

“Traditions, values, and even institutions that were the mainstays of life are shifting,” writes Rev. David Hilderman in promotional materials for the event. “This generates a lot of anxiety. How we respond to the anxiety affects our emotional well-being and our relationships with family, church, even our relationship with God. Developing curiosity about our dilemma helps us to clarify principles to live by and to discover better ways of responding.”

The presenter for the event will be Rev. Dr. Michael Nel. Dr. Nel is a Lutheran pastor and member of the American Association of Pastoral Counsellors. He served parishes in Western Canada for 19 years, and currently is a pastoral counsellor with Living Systems.

The conference is designed to give church workers tools they need to better understand and manage how they function emotionally. It is designed for all church workers and their spouses, including pastors, rostered and non-rostered parish workers, retirees, and seminary students.

“Curiosity is about discovery,” writes Rev. Hilderman. “It’s about replacing blame with creativity and hope. It’s about being constructive and optimistic about our future together. ‘Wait upon the Lord and be of good courage;’ aren’t you curious about what He will do next? What a good way for you and me to get a perspective on our ministry, individually and together. Let’s do it.”

For more information, download the promotional package here. Registration is due June 1, and can be filled out online.

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HALIFAX

“I’m pleased to announce the launch of this preaching station,” said Rev. Paul R. Williams. “It’s a privilege to be part of this new mission opportunity as Lutherans reach out with the Gospel in Nova Scotia.”

For those wishing to attend, Rev. Williams provides the following directions: If you are coming from Halifax, take Exit 17 off Highway 101 to Kingston. Turn left at the Stop sign and drive to the next Stop sign (Best Western will be on the left). Turn right on to Main Street in Kingston. Drive to the lights and turn left onto Bridge Street. Turn left at the next lights. Drive to the next lights and go straight through onto the base. Pass the Post Office and make a right turn at Church Street. St. Mark’s Chapel is on the right.

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by Robert Bugbee

It was 25 years ago this May: our church family came from all over the country to the Winnipeg Convention Centre. Nearly every congregation sent a representative. Nearly every pastor came. It was the organizing convention of Lutheran Church–Canada.

After we had worked in this land for 134 years under our American “mother” church, lay and clergy delegates alike made their way to the front of a big hall in long lines to sign the formal document. Choirs were there from near and far. The singing was infectious. The Winnipeg Free Press ran a front-page story. God gave us a wise leader in the person of President Edwin Lehman. We sang his rousing new hymn, “Forth In the Name of Jesus.” After these memorable days we boarded airplanes, buses and cars and went back home to do our work.

In a land as vast as ours, we’re not all together very often. Perhaps that is one reason our church’s district and synodical conventions bring emotional moments for me. (I don’t just say this because I’m Synod’s president; I’ve always felt that way.) It is a glad blessing to see distant friends again, to sit face-to-face and share the joys and struggles of the Lord’s work with a treasured brother pastor, to hear some of the gifted preachers God has given us. And the group singing always gets to me.

We have no conventions scheduled for the summer of 2013. We will have gatherings, however. These have nothing to do with enacting resolutions or passing budgets, but they are God-given opportunities to be together as His people, to study the Scriptures, to hear the Good News of Christ being preached, to pray, to confess, to see faraway friends, and to be encouraged by new members of Synod’s family you have never met before. And, yes, to sing!

These gatherings are God-given opportunities to be together as His people, to study the Scriptures, to hear the Good News of Christ being preached, to pray, to confess, to see faraway friends, and to be encouraged by new members of Synod’s family you have never met before.

There are two gatherings and they are both coming at the same time, both here in Winnipeg. The LCC National Youth Gathering (NYG) is set for July 5-9. I look forward to leading Bible studies for our youth during those days on the campus of the University of Manitoba.

The world of 2013 is tougher for young Christians than it was in 1988, so the gathering organizers are calling youth together under the theme “Stand Firm!” We don’t plan to just “bark” those words at you young followers of Christ as an order or command; our aim is to bring Jesus to you through the Word during these days, so that He can not only strengthen you to stand firm, but actually give you the heart and will to do it!

I’m anxious to see a lot of youth this summer. Youth, no matter whether your church home is big or small, talk with your pastor or with other leaders in your congregation. Tell them you want to come to Winnipeg in July! Ask them how they can help it happen! Partner up with neighbouring congregations if that’s a better way to get a group together to join me this summer.

During some of those same days, we have another gathering scheduled for grownups just down the street from the youth. This is the Synod’s 25th Anniversary conference, planned together with our friends from Lutheran Hour Ministries under the theme “Reach Out Canada.” As I said before, these aren’t business meetings filled with budgets, debates, and resolutions.  They are a time for worship, learning, singing, and prayer, to help you—and your congregation—grow in the task we have of bringing Jesus, Saviour of all, to people who live in our neighbourhoods or are part of our circles of friends.

What a great thing it would be if some local churches would send a good group of both youth and adults to join me for those days! What a unique thing if some youth and their parents would plan on making the trip together! A few times during the weekend, youth and adults will unite in the same spot at the same time for a really large event. That Sunday, we’ll all be together under the same roof to praise God in a festival service marking the 25th Anniversary of LCC’s founding back in 1988. I will treasure the opportunity to preach that morning and be a pastor to you all.

What a great thing it would be if some local churches would send a good group of both youth and adults to join me for those days! What a unique thing if some youth and their parents would plan on making the trip together!

With these lines I’m reaching into your congregation and your home in the hope that you and I may have this time together in July. I’m yearning to see your faces, to hear your stories, to listen and pray and confess together with you. Start making plans to come!

For more information, visit the following websites: Reach Out Canada (roc.lutheranchurch.ca) and the National Youth Gathering (nyg.lutheranyouth.ca). A reminder that early-bird registration for the youth gathering is April 30!

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Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee is President of Lutheran Church–Canada.

Image: Google maps.

BOSTON – Lutheran Church-Canada’s (LCC) President Robert Bugbee has pledged prayers for those affected by the April 15 bombings in Boston.

“Dear friends in Canada,” he writes, “I’m in Sydney, Australia on my way to the convention of our partner church, and just received word of the attack at the Boston Marathon.”

“I hope you’ll hold in your prayers the sorrows of people who are now traumatized over the dead and the wounded, and are surely horrified to see that a peaceful pastime like this could be shattered by such violence. Pray also for all relief workers, pastors, and Christian people who are doing all they can to help people with their needs of body and soul at this time.”

Two explosions, a few seconds and less than 100 meters apart, struck near the finish line of the Boston Marathon at a peak time when runners are completing the race. Three people were killed, and at least 176 injured. Early reports suggested an additional two explosives were found undetonated nearby, but Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announced Tuesday morning this information was incorrect.

At least one LCC member was taking part in the Boston Marathon when the attack occurred. Amy Nachtigall, wife of Jeffrey Nachtigal (Registrar and Director of Technology Services, Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton), was a runner in the marathon. Jeffrey Nachtigal reports that they are both safe. “Family and friends,” he writes, “we are physically OK. Amy was nearly a mile from the finish when the race was stopped. She is in pretty rough shape emotionally, but we will be OK.”

“We’re stunned and saddened,” he says, “but OK.”

The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS), LCC’s partner church in the United States of America, has announced it is “ready to offer personal assistance and respond as needs are assessed and opportunities to serve are identified.” It notes that First Lutheran Church in Boston (an LCMS congregation a few blocks from the site of the explosions) was open all night “offering a warm place to sleep, water, coffee, and pastoral care, especially to those who could not return to their homes or hotels due to the city’s lock-down status.”

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The Planning Committee for 2013′s National Youth Gathering meets in Winnipeg, with one member Skyped in.

WINNIPEG – Last week saw a number of Lutheran Church–Canada’s (LCC) boards and committees meeting at the national office in Winnipeg.

The Planning Committee of 2013’s National Youth Gathering was the first group to meet during the week. Members began their work Monday, Skyping in one member who could not be present physically. The committee reminds congregations that early bird registration for the National Youth Gathering ends April 30.

President Robert Bugbee installs Rev. Rudy Pastucha and Grace Henderson to LCC’s Board of Directors.

On Tuesday, the Council of Presidents (COP) began two days of meetings. Among other topics, the placement of this year’s seminary graduates was on the agenda. Tuesday also saw the beginning of two days of meetings of LCC’s Committee for Missions and Social Ministry.

On Thursday evening, committees of LCC’s Board of Directors (BOD) met in preparation for BOD meetings Friday and Saturday. Friday morning saw the installation of Rev. Rudy Pastucha as Third Vice-President and Grace Henderson as lay-member to the board.

Lutheran Church–Canada has a wide range of boards and committees that assist it in various aspects of synod’s mission, including communications, finances, international missions, and youth ministry.

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EDMONTON

The President of CLS “shall be the executive officer of the Board of Regents and as such serve as the spiritual, academic, and administrative head thereof” (Synodical Bylaw 6.13, Lutheran Church–Canada Handbook, 2011). For a more detailed description of the functions of the office of president, consult Synodical Bylaw 6.13.

A nominated candidate should possess the following qualifications:

Spiritual:

1. Be able to provide spiritual leadership by understanding himself as a servant for Jesus, namely by being humble, open, and attentive to the needs of others, including students, staff and faculty;
2. Be an ordained clergyman of Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) or of a church body in altar and pulpit fellowship with LCC, particularly one who has had significant experience in parish ministry;
3. Be supportive and understanding of the seminary’s primary task of pastoral formation.

Academic:

1. Be able to write and speak clearly and effectively to a variety of audiences, from the academic community to members of local congregations;
2. Possess the ability and credentials to provide credible academic oversight, particularly by holding an earned doctorate;
3. Be known and respected within LCC as well as within theological circles.

Administrative:

1. Understand and provide leadership in the financial aspects of seminary administration, including development and fundraising;
2. Provide leadership in analysing and helping others work through difficult problems with the goal of achieving an acceptable solution;
3. Be willing to travel in order to make connections with CLS’ constituency for purposes of development, recruitment, and public relations.

Please note that according to Synodical Bylaw 6.11.b only member congregations of the Synod, the Board of Directors, the Board of Regents, and the faculty of Concordia Lutheran Seminary are eligible to make nominations.

Please direct all nominations to the secretary of the Board of Regents:

Rev. Daryl Solie
190 Litzenberger Crescent
Regina, SK. S4R 5X9
d.solie@sasktel.net

The deadline for nominations is July 15, 2013.

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EDMONTON – Concordia University College of Alberta is setting the stage for a number of musical events over the coming weeks.

This Thursday (April 12 at 7:00 p.m.) in Concordia Seminary Chapel is “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” The concert features Bella Voce Women’s Choir of Edmonton and director Dr. Joy Berg, as well as Megan Kan on harp and Rev. Lorne Manweiler on piano and organ. The program features music for women by composers from Fauré to Ellingboe, from the Romantic to the contemporary.

On April 14 at 4:00 p.m., CUCA’s School of Music and the Chaplain’s Department will host its second Worship and Music Symposium Mini event. Visiting scholar Dr. Helen Pietsch will be presenting sacred music from Australian composers suitable for choir and congregational singing. Participants will meet in the Welcome Centre, and will sing through the music while learning about the background of the composers and the sacred pieces. The entrance fee is $10 ($5 for members of the Alberta Church Musicians Group), and will be collected at the door. Participants will leave with resources in hand as well as creative ideas. (This year’s full Worship and Music Symposium will take place August 2-3 and is entitled “New Wine in Old Wineskins: Bringing Tradition into the 21st Century.”)

Next up in April is “Earth Teach Me,” a concert of sacred and secular music reflecting on our relationships to the earth, to others, and to God. The event features the Concordia Community Chorus along with the Suzuki String Orchestra and Montrose School Choir, Rev. Lorne Manweiler on organ, and members of the Edmonton Suzuki Flute and Recorder Society. The concert will take place April 20 at 7:00 p.m. in CUCA’s Tegler Student Centre.

Near the end of this month, the Concordia Concert Choir, directed by Dr. John Brough, will return from its tour of southern Alberta and eastern British Columbia for an Edmonton performance. “Praise His Holy Name!” presents music of praise, glory and thanksgiving through varied styles, ranging from works by Baroque composers Vivaldi and Schütz to contemporary composers Hogan and Rutter. The event takes place April 28 at 3:00 p.m. at Holy Trinity Anglican Church (10037-84 Avenue, Edmonton).

Tickets for all the three concerts are $15 (adults) and $12 (seniors and students), can be purchased through Tix on The Square, Concordia Student Accounts, or at the door. In the case of “Earth Teach Me,” a family rate of $40 will also be available at the door.

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by Mathew Block

I was privileged to visit the Dead Sea while on a recent trip to Israel. This sea is famous for two reasons: one, it’s the lowest place on earth at 424 meters (1,391 feet) below sea level; and two, it’s one of the saltiest bodies of water on earth. It’s little wonder it was known as the Salt Sea in biblical times. The water is 33% salt, making it 8.6 times saltier than the ocean.

That level of salinity makes it a popular tourist destination, as the water is extremely buoyant. Everyone can float in the Dead Sea. In fact, as I discovered, you can’t not float: even if you stand straight up in the water, your head stays comfortably above the surface.

The salinity has another effect on the water: it makes it inhospitable for plants and animals to live in. In fact, other than small bacterial life, nothing can live in the water. That’s why people today call it the Dead Sea.

Ezekiel once had a vision concerning this sea. At the time, the Israelites were in exile, the Temple was destroyed, and things looked bleak. But God promised Ezekiel that He would build a new and glorious Temple. From its doors would issue forth a river, a river which would flow down to the Dead Sea and make it pure. “When the water flows into the sea,” Ezekiel writes, “the water will become fresh” (47:8 ESV).  Zechariah made a similar prophecy, speaking of the day “living water” would flow out to this sea from Jerusalem (14:8).

When the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh.

These prophecies predict the new covenant in Christ: He tells us He gives “living waters” to those who thirst (John 4:7). This is a water which takes the spiritually dead and brings them to life—the sort of thing we see in baptism. For baptism too is water which brings the dead to life. “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ were baptized into his death?” Paul asks. “We were therefore buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:3-4). This water finds what is dead and makes it alive!

When we drink of the water Christ gives us—when faith in His Gospel takes hold of us—He gives us His Holy Spirit. He becomes in us “a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). As the water from the Temple purifies the Dead Sea in Ezekiel’s vision, so too the righteousness of Christ overwhelms our own decay. He makes us pure. His blood cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:9) and His life swallows up death (Isaiah 25:8). Indeed, wherever Christ goes, life must follow: “Everything will live where the river goes” (Ezekiel 47:9).

In this issue of The Canadian Lutheran, we reflect anew on the life of Christ. I mean that in two ways: first, we talk about His literal earthly life. We visit the Holy Land and see the place where He was born. Where He lived and taught. Where He died. Where He rose again from the dead.

That brings us to the second focus of this issue: the life Christ gives to us. We reflect anew on the wonder of the resurrection, and the new life it promises us—both in the present and for all eternity.  His living water wells up inside us. Though we were dead, He brings us back to life!

This is Good News—the best news, in fact! And as Christ’s living water fills us, we are transformed. We are no longer “dead seas,” but instead carry living water to others. Jesus promises, “Whoever believes in me…. out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Through this outflowing, the Holy Spirit uses us to share the Good News with those who haven’t yet heard it: with friends, family, and neighbours.

You have an excellent opportunity  this summer to learn to share your faith with others. In Winnipeg, we’re holding “Reach Out Canada,” a national outreach conference for LCC members. At the same time, we’re hosting the national youth gathering. Don’t miss them!

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Mathew Block is editor of The Canadian Lutheran.

The boxes piled up and the furniture was being rearranged. The contents of the district office began to disappear as they were packed for the move to the synodical office in Winnipeg. I found myself wondering, “Oh, where is that…Oops, already packed away!”

The same happened with my condominium as my spare bedroom filled up with boxes loaded with my earthly goods. I spent a lot of time going through my stuff, giving some things away, selling others, and throwing away a lot more. After only twelve-and-a-half years in one place, I certainly had managed to accumulate a fair amount of junk. Thankfully, my situation was not as bad as that depicted on the TV program, Hoarders. But it was still a daunting task to sort through everything.

My condo did not always look this way. I suppose it has always had a typical, lived-in, cluttered look, always in need of a good dusting or vacuuming. But things changed when I put the unit up for sale. I was told by the realtor to get rid of the clutter and find “a place for everything and everything in its place.” I washed and scoured and sand-blasted, and crammed and jammed until everything was sparkling clean and neatly arranged. I tried to make my humble dwelling look like a million dollars even though it was only worth a fraction of that. I tried to make as good an impression as possible on potential buyers. One look at my humble digs, and I hoped they would be able to say, “I could live here!”

Then I began living in a museum. I didn’t want to use my recently cleaned oven, because something might spill and I’d have to clean it all over again. I didn’t leave clothes here and there, but hung everything up or tucked them into a drawer in case an interested buyer visited. Lint on the carpet was picked up immediately, and spots on the mirror were promptly polished. Everything, so I thought, had to look perfect for the next person viewing my condo.

Did it work? Did all my hard work pay off? I guess I’ll never know, short of talking to the realtors who showed my condo. I don’t know if my attention to cleanliness and detail made much of a difference in selling my unit. Whatever the motivation, someone did buy my condo after two weeks.

When we need His help the most, we trot out all our good intentions and works in an effort to impress Him.

Reviewing my experience, I can’t help but think how many people, including Christians, think and act a similar way before God. When we need His help the most, we trot out all of our good intentions and works in an effort to impress Him. When someone close to us is sick and dying, we promise our heavenly Father that we will give up this and do that. We try to make an impression with our outward words and actions to motivate God into action. We forget that it is really our sinful heart that is the problem—a problem we cannot change.

But God fixed that problem by sending His own Son. Jesus was perfect, without sin, and then offered that perfection for sinners like you and me. That’s the whole reason we observe Lent: to marvel at the tremendous love our Saviour had for us and the incredible sacrifice He made for us. Despite our sin and stubbornness to help ourselves, Jesus loved us anyway. He looked beyond our good works and intentions, fixing our dead hearts with the spark of faith. As we believe in Him as our Saviour, we know that we will sin daily. But we also know that He has paid for that sin.

He looked beyond our good works and intentions, fixing our dead hearts with the spark of faith.

On Easter morning He proved that His heavenly Father accepted His sacrifice for sin and death by rising triumphantly from the dead. He gave us the hope that we will be with Him in heaven with perfect bodies made so by His resurrection power. It’s that final move from this life to eternal life to which I am really looking forward!

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Rev. Thomas Prachar is President of the Central District of Lutheran Church–Canada.

President Prachar unpacks in Winnipeg.

WINNIPEG – The Central District Office began the move to Winnipeg in late March. Please update your contact information accordingly.

New Address:
LCC Central District
3074 Portage Ave.
Winnipeg, MB R3K 0Y2

Phone: 204-832-7242
Ext. 2211 Rev. Thomas Prachar
Ext. 2223 Lil Kozussek
Toll Free: 800-ONE-LORD (663-5673)

Website (same): www.lcccentral.ca
Email Address: lcccentral@lutheranchurch.ca
President Email: centralpresident@lutheranchurch.ca
Admin. Assistant Email: lkozussek@lutheranchurch.ca
CEF Email: cef@lutheranchurch.ca

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“But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge” (Psalm 94:22).

When slavery was common during the early part of the 19th century, a kind and gentle man visited the marketplace one day. There upon the auction block he found a young woman who all her life had known hardship and grief. Bidding the highest price, the man took the woman and brought her to his near-by estate. There he showed her his large and beautiful plantation. After having been shown the great expanse of the plantation, the woman bowed low to the feet of the owner and said, “I am your slave. What will you have me do?” Quickly the man answered, “I have not bought you to keep you in slavery but rather, to set you free.” Astonished at the words which she heard, the woman broke into tears: “Please then, let me serve you forever!”

Christ died on Calvary to set us free from the slavery of our sins. His body was laid in the tomb and our dear Lord descended into hell to proclaim His victory. Then on Easter Sunday, the freedom that Christ won for us over sin, death and the devil was made plain for all to see. For when the stone was rolled away from the opening of the tomb, it could be clearly seen that Jesus had risen triumphantly from the grave. If these acts of love mean anything to us, they should cause us to turn to our Lord Jesus and say, “Because You have set us free, we will serve You forever!”

Because You have set us free, we will serve You forever!

Have you ever observed the happenings in a great harbor? I had the opportunity to experience this when, in March 2012 Lutheran Church–Canada’s Council of Presidents met with the Council of Presidents of the Lutheran Church of Australia in Vancouver. Following one day’s meetings, we took the Skyride up to the top of Grouse Mountain. At its highest point it sits over 4,000 feet high and overlooks the Vancouver Harbor. There below us were a large number of ships, constantly coming in and going out. Some of these ships anchor for a time in the harbor while they await their turn to pick up new cargo and make necessary repairs. But soon they leave again for ports across the world. Perhaps you have always thought of a harbor as a place where ships come to rest. But having seen what I saw in the Vancouver harbor, I can now understand that a harbor is not only an ending place; it’s also a starting place—a place from which new journeys begin. No ship goes out empty. Each one carries supplies that are needed in some part of the world.

In Jesus Christ we Christians find refuge, a haven from a restless world. But we also find in our Lord and Savior a wonderful source of strength and courage—strength and courage which enables us to go out on the many journeys of life, bringing the “Good News” of salvation wherever it is needed in this troubled world. Christ offers us a place, a safe harbor, where we may begin to live anew a life devoted to Him, and which engages us in service to enrich the lives of others.

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Rev. Paul Zabel is President of the East District of Lutheran Church–Canada.

Rev. Don Schiemann

In spring of 2010, I was in Prince George, BC. I preached at our church in the morning and led the congregation through a call meeting in the afternoon. Then I headed off to the airport to catch my flight home—a WestJet flight scheduled to leave at 4:50 p.m. There was an Air Canada flight scheduled to leave around the same time so the departures area in that small airport was relatively crowded with somewhere between 200 to 250 people.

The WestJet plane arrived and, as it pulled up to the gate, a hearse drove to where the plane was parked along with several other vehicles, all containing military personnel. Slowly, it dawned on everyone that we were about to witness a “ramp ceremony.” Cpl. Darren Fitzpatrick had been wounded in Afghanistan and died in hospital in Edmonton. His body was being brought back to his hometown of Prince George for burial.

The grieving family exited the plane and the soldiers snapped to attention as the casket was removed from the cargo hold and loaded into the hearse. In the departures area, everyone was standing in respectful silence. For one brief and sobering moment, we were all reminded of our own mortality and of the grief and pain that death brings into the lives of those who are left behind to mourn.

As a pastor, I’ve been there more times than I can count. I’ve presided at funerals of elderly people who have suffered long from the ravages of disease and old age; of people who have died in the prime of life from cancer or an automobile accident; of little babies who lived only days or even just a few hours. Most recently, I preached at the funeral of Rev. Vern Vansteenberg from Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. You may recall him as the author of the article “Facing Death in the Light of Christ” in the December 2012 issue of The Canadian Lutheran.

In the movie “The Lion King”, death is portrayed as a part of the natural “circle of life.” That’s the most ridiculous thing you will ever hear. There is nothing natural about death. Death is the result of sin in the world and in us. It is a cruel enemy and no respecter of persons. It will claim each of us some day—perhaps even today—and ultimately there’s nothing we can do to prevent it.

There is nothing natural about death. Death is the result of sin in the world and in us. It is a cruel enemy and no respecter of persons.

While the reality of death is all around us, you and I can live in hope in the light of the resurrection! I’m not talking about hope as if it were wishful thinking, like the farmer who says “I hope it’s going to rain”; or the person who buys a Tim Horton’s coffee and hopes that when he rolls up the rim, he’ll be a big winner; or the hockey fan who says “I hope my team will make it to the playoffs next year.”

We just came through the church’s season of Lent. The focus was on the suffering and death of Jesus Christ as He took our place under the Law. While He lived a perfect life on our behalf, He was crucified as a common criminal by the government in power at the time. More than that, at the cross, He became our substitute as He bore the full wrath of God for all the sin that has ever been committed in the world—including your sin and mine.

If that was the end of the story, then we would indeed be hope-less people. But St. Paul writes, “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him”  (1 Thessalonians 4: 13-14).

Through the risen Christ, death has been defeated! “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22). When you look at Jesus, the risen Saviour… when you trust in him for forgiveness, for life, and for salvation, you live in hope! You live in the light of the resurrection. You live knowing that this life is not all there is. You live knowing that, through Christ, you have the promise of eternal life in the presence of our gracious God.

Scripture says that Christian hope changes the way we grieve when death strikes. It changes the way that we look at death, and because of that it changes the way we look at life. Someone once said that if you own the future, you never need fear the present. Our confidence about the future comes from seeing everything in the light of the resurrection.

Christian hope changes the way we look at death, and because of that it changes the way we look at life.

God invites us to trust in the risen Christ. He invites us to live in eager expectation—in hope—in light of the fact that Christ the Crucified is risen from the dead. It is in the light of the resurrection that, even in the midst of the challenges of this life, you and I can live in hope. May the light of the resurrection light your way for the here and now and in the yet to come.

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Rev. Don Schiemann is President of the Alberta-British Columbia district of Lutheran Church–Canada.

by Ken Maher

“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, [the women] went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared” (Luke 24:1).

So begins the most wonderful story ever told. Sometimes, because we know what happens next, we are too quick to gloss over this first part of the Easter story. But stop for a moment and consider the women’s laboured climb through the dark pre-dawn morning. Consider that everything they had devoted their lives to for all those years was wrapped up in cloths, lying in a tomb, waiting for this final, futile act of service.

Under darkened skies, their equally darkened hearts groaned in pain at  those now empty promises. ‘Remember when He said that you should love your enemies and care for those who persecute you… but then they murdered Him.’ ‘Remember when He cured that woman who had been bleeding for all those years… dear God, there was so much blood dripping down that cross.’ ‘Remember when He brought that widow’s son back to life, or that little girl… but now He is dead. Who will be there for Him? For us? Jesus is dead and buried. And all His promises with Him.’

The more they remembered, the more empty it must have felt. He had said and done so many wonderful things for others, but all that was gone. Now they were rushing through the dark to anoint His corpse before the stench and the decay became as hard to bear as their grief.

Do not gloss over this too quickly, for there is a great truth in the desperate grief of these women. If Death had won the day … if the tomb had remained full, the stone unmoved… if indeed the Master was dead—well then, everything that had gone before would really and truly have been just so many empty promises. As St. Paul said, “If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:19).

If the tomb had remained full, the stone unmoved… then everything that had gone before would really and truly have been just so many empty promises.

But when the women arrived, what they found was not one last empty promise. What they found was the empty tomb! “They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.  And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead?’ ” (Luke 24:2-5).

Visitors to the Garden Tomb today find it the same way Mary and the others found Jesus’ tomb: empty.

They found an open tomb, the stone flung away from the door. What they did not find was Jesus. The facts are straightforward, but the reaction is not. In the long moments they stand there trying to process what they are seeing, it all washes over them like a flood. Doubts, fears, confusion, surprise. In an instant their whole world is turned upside down and these poor women don’t know what to make of it all.

This is the natural reaction of human beings in the presence of the incredible—shock in the face of overturned expectations. It’s the kind of shock you get when something you need is not where it’s supposed to be. What should be, isn’t.  What shouldn’t be, is! The tomb is empty! Jesus is gone, but the grave clothes remain.

Yes, the Lord is not there but His glorious angelic witnesses are.

“ ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead?’ ” the angels ask. “ ‘He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.’ And they remembered his words” (Luke 24:5-8).

“Why are you surprised?” the angels ask the women. “Remember His words.” And there it is in a matter-of-fact tone, so wildly incongruous next to the bewilderment of the women. This empty tomb shouldn’t be a surprise at all. It was part of Jesus’ promise. Jesus said it and then He did it! Everything is exactly as it should be! The suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus are all a part of the Divine plan, foretold both by the ancient scriptures and by Jesus himself!

Suddenly, they remembered His words. And in that moment, in that dawning of true Easter faith, all the spices and preparations and fears… all of it became unnecessary in light of one glorious truth: death and the grave had not made God’s promises empty; instead, the empty tomb is full of God’s promise to us! Jesus is the Living One. Jesus is no longer dead. He is alive again, just as He said He would be. The Tomb is empty!

Death and the grave had not made God’s promises empty; instead, the empty tomb is full of God’s promise to us!

How many people struggle through this life bearing burdens that are no longer necessary in light of this glorious resurrection truth? Remember His words! How many have had their world turned upside down by a midnight phone call, or a doctor’s diagnosis? How many have had to sit beside the bed of a dying loved-one and didn’t know what to make of it all? How many have looked at their life, or the life of someone they love so dearly, only to worry it’s slipping away like one more empty promise? How many people out there live their lives in worry and fear? “What if I get sick?” “How can I go on?” “Why did this have to happen?” “Will there be enough?” “Will they come back?” “What if I’m wrong?” “Am I going to die?” “What if, in the end, it was all for nothing?”

So many of us know what those women went through that first Easter morning. We know because we have been there. We may even be there right now. Confusion, doubts, fear, surprise… who doesn’t know such things first-hand? Who has not at least once wondered in the dark night of the soul if this isn’t all there is, if the lure of a better life to come is just an empty promise?

Remember what He said to you! “If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:19-20).

This empty tomb, Christ’s resurrection, marks a new era. It is the turning of a glorious corner. Christ our Saviour is risen! The wall of separation between heaven and earth has fallen and God is reconciled to men. The sacrifice of the Son has been accepted by the Father, and Christ is risen from the dead! The doubts, the fears, the burdens, the confusion and anxiety of life in this world – these are now the empty promises that slip away without any lasting meaning or effect. They are, each and every one, of them silenced in one glorious truth. The empty tomb is full of promise!

You see, the empty tomb is important not just because Jesus is no longer in it, but because He is now somewhere else. The Lord is not there, because He is now here! He is here in the midst of His Church on earth in the proclamation of His Gospel, in the calling of sinners to repentance and forgiveness. He is here in baptism’s waters, sharing His death and resurrection—making those dead in sin alive in Him. He is here, in His holy supper, giving out His very body and blood for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of faith. The Living One is here with His resurrection gifts of life and salvation for one and for all.

The empty tomb is important not just because Jesus is no longer in it, but because He is now somewhere else.

And where Christ is wonderfully alive, doubts give way to faith. Fears are replaced with joy. Confusion falls before the clarity of truth. Our anxieties dissolve in the knowledge that the grave we will one day enter we shall just as surely exit! The body that goes into the grave will come out from the grave. Because Jesus rose we also shall rise. He is the Living One, and we shall live in Him forever. Without the empty tomb, without this risen and glorified Lord, everything else in life is just so many empty promises. But because of the empty tomb, where Jesus did what He said He would do, all our days take on new life and new meaning. The tomb that has been emptied of its occupant is now full to overflowing with promise for you and me!

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Rev. Ken Maher is pastor of Christ Our Hope Lutheran Church in Collingwood, Ontario.

Deaconess Neak Mao and ELCC President Vannarith Chhim at rice-storage facility.

by Leonardo Neitzel

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cambodia (ELCC) is aware of local financial challenges which might arise if it continues to rely solely on external funding for its mission and ministry. ELCC’s President, Rev. Vannarith Chhim, and several of the church’s pastors and deaconesses are working together to establish sustainable, self-supported ministry based on solid biblical stewardship teachings and creative initiatives. By focusing on stewardship, they hope to help local congregations seek out new opportunities to enhance their outreach with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and with human care.

In one community in southern Cambodia, Deaconess Neak Mao and her pastor have started a rice granary. During the harvest season, the price of rice is low and the congregation purchases and stores as much rice as resources allow. Members of the Lutheran church who own small rice farms donate a portion of their rice as part of their contribution to the storehouse of the Lord. When drought season arrives and the price of grain is very high, the congregation takes two steps: first, it gives some of the stored rice to poor families in need of food and to the elderly who cannot work anymore; second, it sells remaining rice to the public, which helps raise funds to maintain the congregation’s ministry.

ELCC is committed to becoming self-sustainable. The church continues encouraging pastors and deaconesses to apply sound biblical stewardship principles. As the proverb goes, if you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day; if you teach him to fish, he’ll eat for the rest of his life. ELCC is committed to teaching its members and their communities how to “fish” rather than waiting for “fish” to be caught and handed to them. A micro-loan program is now in place for the benefit of church members and congregations. The program is sponsored by the Garuna Foundation, a Lutheran organization from the United States which supports social initiatives in Cambodia as well as church worker training through the Lutheran Institute Southeast Asia (LISA).

In Southern Thailand, a region devastated by the Tsunami in December 2004, there are signs of hope in the Thailand Concordia Lutheran Church as Rev. Suchat Chujit and his church’s members continue to grow in stewardship life and practice. Rev. Chujit expects financial contributions to the local church and its ministry to continue increasing, as rubber trees planted following the tsunami begin to mature. The trees, which take about eight years to mature, produce a natural source of latex which can be harvested throughout the life of the trees. Rev. Chujit notes that local fishermen also play an important role in helping to support the ministry of the church in Thailand.

It is indeed gratifying to witness pastors, deaconesses and congregations throughout Southeast Asia encouraging one other and joining together to learn and nurture good stewardship of the Lord’s kingdom work. The words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:6-14 apply very well to this situation:

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.  This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.”

We pray that the Lord continue to encourage the church in Southeast Asia and in Canada to live lives of faithful stewardship. May the Holy Spirit continue to encourage us through His words: “’Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it’” (Malachi 3:10).

Rev. Dr. Leonardo Neitzel (far right) and other LCC visitors meets with Garuna Foundation’s Director and ELCC pastors.

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Rev. Dr. Leonardo Neitzel is Lutheran Church–Canada’s Executive for Missions and Social Ministry.

Rev. Rudy Pastucha

WINNIPEG – The Board of Directors (BOD) of Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) appointed Rev. Rudy Pastucha (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) as synod’s Third Vice-President at a conference call March 22. At the same meeting, the BOD appointed Grace Henderson (Leduc, Alberta) to serve as Voting Lay Member on the board.

Rev. Pastucha has served in pastoral ministry since 1986, the vast majority of his time in Saskatchewan. From 2006-2012, he served as First Vice President of the Central District. He has also been Counselor for the Wascana Circuit, sat on the Central District’s Committee for Communications, chaired the Governance Committee of the Central District, been a District Pastoral Advisor to Lutheran Women’s Missionary League–Canada, and been involved as a speaker/organizer for various evangelism, youth, and camp ministry events.

Grace Henderson

Mrs. Henderson serves in children’s ministry and as an organist in her home congregation. She has previously served as the superintendent of her congregation’s Sunday School, coordinated Vacation Bible Schools, traveled with youth to LCC’s National Youth Gathering, and directed the congregation’s choir. She was a member of the Spiritual Life Committee at Concordia University College of Alberta and was also a Section Leader there. She has also served on a committee of the Evangelism Program for the ABC District, been an emcee and publicity assistant for LCC’s National Youth Gatherings, and helped organize district young adult events.

“I praise God for moving Pastor Pastucha and Grace Henderson to join the work of our Board of Directors,” commented President Robert Bugbee. “Both have served our churches so faithfully on the local and district levels, and we’ll all benefit from their input on the national and international work being done by the synod.”

Rev. Pastucha will take over from former Third Vice-President, Rev. Mark Dressler. Rev. Dressler recently accepted a call to Alberta, meaning he was no longer able to represent the Central District on the board. Mrs. Henderson takes the place of Frank Belden, who resigned from the board in late February for medical reasons.

“We owe a deep debt of gratitude to Pastor Dressler and to Frank for the work they’ve done on behalf of our synodical family,” President Bugbee said. “We hold both their joys and their sorrows in our prayers, and ask God to keep them close to their Saviour Jesus in the days to come.”

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CALGARY – Rev. Dr. Jobst H. M. Schöne, retired Bishop of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELK) of Germany, will be the major presenter at the 2013 Pastors’ and Deacons’ Conference of Lutheran Church-Canada (LCC), it was announced by LCC President Robert Bugbee. The conference is set for October 28-31 at the Coast Hotel and Conference Centre in Calgary.

Bishop Schöne

“I praise God that Bishop Schöne was moved to accept the invitation of our program committee,” President Bugbee said. “As a man born and raised in wartime, longtime pastor in divided Berlin, profound theologian and teacher, and as an influential leader of the International Lutheran Council (ILC), he has so much wisdom to share with us. I can hardly wait!”

The Conference, meeting under the theme, “For the Sake of God’s People,” will focus strongly on Second Timothy and its message for Christians and their pastors in dark times of great pressure. Details on conference arrangements and registration will be sent out sometime after Easter.

Dr. Schöne was born in Naumburg-on-the-Saale and escaped the former East Germany to study theology at Tübingen, Münster, Oberursel and at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Ordained in 1959, he served as pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Berlin (1962-85), during which time he earned a doctorate in theology from Münster University. Chosen as Bishop of the SELK in 1985, he led during the years when both the country and his confessional Lutheran church were reunified, retiring in 1996. He has also lectured frequently in Latvia, Estonia, South Africa, the United States, and elsewhere, and has published numerous articles and books. Bishop and Mrs. Schöne, the former Ingrid Germar, have been blessed with three children and four grandchildren.

The Conference program committee includes Revs. David Bode (Alberta-British Columbia District), Arron Gust (Central), Ken Maher (East), Deaconness Miriam Winstanley, and Dr. Ian Adnams as convener. “These folks got acquainted very quickly and have brought so much wisdom to the task,” President Bugbee remarked. “I hope all our rostered workers will come together for this rare opportunity to gather as a national family.”

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by Ted Giese

As might be expected, Lutherans are keen on the Bible. Our churches read aloud from the Scriptures every week during worship. In those same services our pastors preach sermons based on the readings for the day. We encourage our members to read their Bibles in personal devotions, and to attend Bible studies at our churches so that they can grow in their knowledge of God’s Word.

Helping people know the Scriptures better is the goal behind Mark Burnett and his wife Roma Downey’s new television adaptation of the Bible for the History Channel. In a recent interview, Burnett says he believes there’s a growing “Biblical illiteracy” among young people. It is admirable that someone would want to tackle that problem, not just among young people but among all people.

Each episode of the new series begins with a disclaimer. “This programme is an adaptation of Bible stories,” it says. “It endeavours to stay true to the spirit of the book. Some scenes contain violence. Viewer discretion is advised.”

That warning—to use your discretion—is good advice. The best advice is to watch this programme with your Bible next to you. Use your Christian discretion, your gift of discernment, while you watch (Matthew 24:4-5). Or, if this is not a strength of yours, turn to a fellow Christian with this gift (Luke 24:25-27).

The best advice is to watch this programme with your Bible next to you.

Jesus talks about the need for discernment in Matthew 24: “See that no one leads you astray,” He tells his disciples. “For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.” Discernment then is about being able to look at something and tell if it’s accurate or not, if it’s true or not, if it’s genuine or not.

St. Peter tells us that we should “always [be] prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:14). One way to be prepared is to know your Bible and know it well. When your co-workers say, “I was watching that Bible thing on TV last night,” you will be a help and a benefit to them if you’ve both watched the episode and followed that up with careful reading of the biblical passages it was based on. Just be sure to bring the conversation back around to “the hope that is in you.” That hope is Jesus.

Jesus Himself explained that all of Scripture was about Him. After His resurrection, He traveled the Road to Emmaus with two of his followers. They were discussing the events of the previous days (they didn’t recognize Jesus) and were sad because they could not understand what had happened. “O foolish ones,” Jesus says to them, “and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:25-27).

What does this mean? It means that no matter what part of the Bible you find yourself in, it will be about Jesus. This is an important detail to consider as you watch the Bible miniseries; every part of the show should be about Jesus.

Abraham and Isaac

Keeping this in mind, let’s look at a familiar Bible story that appears in the first episode of the series. In “Beginnings,” Abraham and Sarah give birth, despite their advanced age, to a son they name Isaac. Isaac came as the realization of God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars of the night sky. But as the Scriptures continue, God commands Abraham to sacrifice this special son Isaac; you can read the story in Genesis 22:1-18.

In the new television series, when asked by an inaudible voice to sacrifice his son, Abraham replies: “Sacrifice? No, no! Have I not shown you enough faith?” These are not words spoken by the biblical Abraham.

In other parts of this television series, the writers have God speak audibly. Here, however, they do not make God’s voice audible even though His words are present in the biblical account. This is a small detail but an important one; it informs the rest of how they tell the story of Abraham and Isaac. The Scriptural account has Abraham as an obedient follower of God’s command; he trusts God even in the face of this difficult request. The miniseries, however, presents Abraham as deeply conflicted. This is all speculation on the part of the writers.

In other parts of this television series, the writers have God speak audibly. Here, however, they do not make God’s voice audible even though His words are present in the biblical account.

Moreover, they show Isaac struggling with his father when he’s put on the altar. This too is not in the Biblical account. And just as he’s about to sacrifice Isaac in the television series, Abraham begs him to forgive him—again something not in the biblical account. The series does have Abraham being stopped at the last moment by the angel of the LORD, but it cuts out what God tells Abraham through that angel: “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him,” the Scriptures record, “for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me” (Genesis 22:12).

On the surface, the television programme resembles the biblical account; but it fails to accurately portray what the Scriptures say happened. Sarah is shown rushing to the mountain top in a series of scenes not found in the Bible. The sacrifice provided by God to Abraham in place of Isaac is not a ram with its horns caught in a thicket, as the Scriptures record, but instead a little lamb standing beside a small tree. At the very end of the story, the narrator tells us that “Abraham has passed the ultimate test” and that “he will become the father of God’s nation.” It then passes on.

The book of Genesis was written by Moses, and Jesus says that Moses wrote of Him; so where is Jesus in this? If all the Scriptures were written concerning Jesus, as He says they are, then Jesus should be in this story. In the biblical story, Jesus is found in a number of ways. One way He is found is in the obedience of Isaac who goes willingly without complaint to the place of sacrifice trusting his father, just as Jesus would later do. Jesus is also found in the ram caught in the thicket, which prophetically points to the substitutionary nature of Jesus: just as the ram dies in the place of Isaac, Jesus dies for you. The television series curiously replaces this ram with a lamb. And while Jesus is sometimes referred to as the “Lamb of God” in the New Testament, there is no lamb in the biblical account of Abraham and Isaac. Why the change was necessary is unclear.

The Book of Hebrews tells us that it was “by faith [that] Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back” (Hebrews 11:17-19). From this we see that the story of Abraham and Isaac is ultimately about trust in God and the promised resurrection of the dead: Abraham knew that God could raise his son Isaac from death even if he sacrificed him.

The story of Abraham and Isaac is ultimately about trust in God and the promised resurrection of the dead: Abraham knew that God could raise his son Isaac from death even if he sacrificed him.

The story is also about God’s love for us. It points to God the Father’s willingness to sacrifice His beloved Son, Jesus, for us. But the Bible miniseries here and in other Old Testament stories misses Jesus and salvation history.

What to make of the series?

What then can be made of the Bible miniseries? Sadly, the focus is not on Jesus but instead on examples of God testing people’s goodness and leadership skills. The Bible miniseries is, in the end, more about you than it is about Jesus for you.

On a technical note, the production values for the series are adequate but pale in comparison to other recent epic television and films projects. The acting is uneven and includes some cringe-inducing moments. The writing frequently moves away from the text of the Bible: there are many things subtracted and many things added to the biblical account. Fight scenes not in the actual biblical stories are added, apparently for entertainment value. And there are significant passages of biblical dialogue absent which would help the audience to make sense of the narrative. This last criticism is particularly puzzling because the producers sought out the help of Christian advisors in making the miniseries.

One positive thing to note about this series is that the History Channel is notorious for airing documentaries that are openly negative and hostile towards Christians and their faith. While the new Bible miniseries is by no means perfect, it certainly isn’t deliberately negative in the way some other programmes on that channel are.

The question then is this: “Did the Bible miniseries do what it intended to do? Did it fulfill its purpose?” Mark Burnett’s desire to stem the tide of “biblical illiteracy” is not greatly helped by this miniseries, unless it gets people interested in reading the actual book itself. If it sends people back into the pages of the Bible to see what’s there, then maybe it will have served its purpose. It would be great if people young and old could be encouraged to pick up their Bible and do some fact checking while they watch the production.

“Biblical illiteracy” is not greatly helped by this miniseries, unless it gets people interested in reading the actual book itself. If it sends people back into the pages of the Bible to see what’s there, then maybe it will have served its purpose.

If you are planning to watch or are watching this miniseries, be careful to use viewer discretion; it is both advisable and recommended. You can also use the series as an opportunity to encourage others to read their Bibles and get involved with a Bible study in their church.

Does the series succeed in staying “true to the spirit of the book,” as it claims in its initial disclaimer? That question requires discernment. Thankfully, you are blessed to have God’s actual written Word to see for yourselves.

Rev. Ted Giese is associate pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Regina, Saskatchewan.

Rev. Dr. John Stephenson addresses CLWR’s Board of Directors.

WINNIPEG – Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) met March 14-16 at Lutheran Church–Canada’s (LCC) office in Winnipeg for the biannual meeting of its Board of Directors.

“Canadian Lutheran World Relief does important work in relief and development around the world,” said LCC’s President Robert Bugbee. “Lutheran Church–Canada is blessed to have such a faithful partner as we share the love of God with others in tangible ways.”

A major topic of discussion for the Board was the concept of advocacy. To that end, a number of speakers, including LCC’s own Rev. Dr. John Stephenson, presented on the subject, offering their different perspectives on what Christian advocacy should look like. Meetings ended with a commitment to further discussion by a taskforce—composed of one LCC member, one Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada member, and the director of CLWR—who will develop practical guidelines that inform CLWR’s possible advocacy work while respecting the theological positions of its member churches.

CLWR acts on behalf of Canadian Lutherans in numerous relief and development projects around the world. In addition, CLWR aids LCC’s missions in Nicaragua by supporting children’s education as well as medical and dental clinics.

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by Martin Luther (translation by Paul T. McCain)

When we meditate on the Passion of Christ the right way, we see Christ and are terrified at the sight. Our conscience sinks in despair. This feeling of terror needs to happen so that we fully realize how great the wrath of God is against sin and sinners. We understand this when we see how God sets sinners free only because His dearly beloved Son—His only Son—paid such a costly ransom for us, as Isaiah 53:8 says, “He was stricken for the transgressions of my people.”

What happens to us when we see the dear Child of God struck down like this? We realize how inexpressible, even unbearable, is the Son’s total commitment to saving sinners. How else can we feel when we realize that a person so great as Christ went out to meet this fate, suffering and dying for sinners? If you truly and deeply reflect on the fact that God’s Son, the eternal Wisdom of God, suffers, you will be filled with terror. The more you reflect on it the deeper you will feel this way.

Your role in Christ’s suffering

You should deeply believe, and never doubt, that in fact you are the one who killed Christ. Your sins did this to Him. When you look at the nails being driven through His hands, firmly believe that it is your work. Do you see His crown of thorns? Those thorns are your wicked thoughts.

Look! When one thorn pierces Christ, you need to know that more than a thousand should pierce you. They should pierce you for all eternity even more painfully than they ever pierced Christ. When you see nails driven through the hands and feet of Christ, know that you should be suffering this for all eternity, with even more painful nails. Everyone who looks on Christ’s sufferings and forgets about them, thinking they are of no worth, will suffer such a fate for all eternity. The Passion of Christ is a mirror of what is to come. This mirror is no lie and no joke. Whatever Jesus says will happen, completely.

You should deeply believe, and never doubt, that in fact you are the one who killed Christ. Your sins did this to him.

Pray to God and ask Him to soften your heart now so you can meditate fruitfully on Christ’s passion. It is impossible for us to meditate on the sufferings of Christ by our own ability or power. God must plant these sufferings into our heart. This meditation on Christ’s suffering, as with all doctrine from God, is not given to you so that you can go off and do your own thing with it. No, you should always first search for God’s grace and long for it. On your own, you can’t do anything. Everything depends on God’s grace. People who never view the sufferings of Christ correctly are the people who never call upon God and ask him to help them. Instead, they try to consider Christ’s suffering on their own and end up regarding Christ’s sufferings in a purely human and unfruitful way.

Let me say this very clearly and openly for all to hear. Whoever meditates on Christ’s sufferings the right way for a day, an hour, even for fifteen minutes, is doing something far better than fasting for a whole year, praying all the Psalms every day, or listening to one hundred masses. The right kind of meditation on Christ’s suffering changes a person’s character. As in Baptism, a person is newly born again through such meditation. Then the sufferings of Christ are accomplishing their true, natural and noble work. They kill the Old Adam. They banish from us all lust, pleasure and security that we might think one of God’s creatures can give us, just like Christ was forsaken by all, even by God.

We need to realize that feeling born again is not something that is up to us. It may be that sometimes we will pray for it, but do not receive it just then. We should not despair, but keep on praying. At times it comes when we are not praying for it. God knows what we need. He will do what is best. It is free and unbound. It may be, when our consciences are causing us distress and we are deeply unhappy with our lives and what we have done we do not realize it, that the Passion of Christ is doing this to us.

Comfort in Christ’s suffering

Up to this point in our discussion, it is as if we have been in Passion Week and Good Friday. Now we come to Easter and Christ’s Resurrection. When a person, whose conscience has been filled with terror, understands his sins in this light, he needs to watch out that his sins do not remain in his conscience, for then nothing but pure doubt will result. Just as our sins flowed out of Christ and we became aware of them, so we should pour them back on Him again and set our conscience free.

Take your sins and throw them on Christ. Believe with a joyful spirit that your sins are His wounds and sufferings. He carries them and makes satisfaction for them, as Isaiah 53:6 says, “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” If we dwell too much on our sins, going over and over them in our conscience, keeping them close to our hearts, soon they will become too much for us to manage and they will live forever. But when we see our sins laid on Christ and see Him triumph over them by His Resurrection, and fearlessly believe this, our sins are dead and become nothing. Our sins don’t stay on Christ, but are swallowed up by His resurrection. That is why Paul says in Romans 4:25 that Jesus “was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” In His sufferings Christ made our sins known and was crucified for them. By His resurrection He makes us righteous and frees from all sin. If you are not able to believe then pray to God for faith. This is entirely up to God. He gives faith at times very dramatically and openly, and at other times, secretly and quietly.

Take your sins and thrown them on Christ. Believe with a joyful spirit that your sins are His wounds and sufferings. He carries them and makes satisfaction for them.

Therefore, here is what you need to do. First, stop looking at Christ’s sufferings any longer. They have already done their work and have terrified you. Press forward through all difficulties and see His friendly heart. Look how full of love God’s heart is for you. It was this love that moved Him to bear the heavy load of your conscience and sin. If you do this, your heart will be sweetly loving toward Him. The assurance of your faith will be stronger.

Ascend higher through the heart of Christ to the heart of God and then you will see that Christ would not have been able to love you if God had not willed all this in His eternal love. Christ is obedient to this love, and so loves you. In the heart of God you will find a divine, good, fatherly heart. As Christ says, you will be drawn to the Father through Christ. Then you will understand what Christ meant when he said in John 3:16, “God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son.” This is how we know God as He wants us to know Him. We know Him not by His power and wisdom, which terrify us, but by His goodness and love. There our faith and confidence stand unmovable. This is how a person is truly born again in God.

Strength in Christ’s suffering

When your heart is set on Christ, you are an enemy of sin, because of love, and not because you are afraid of being punished. Christ’s sufferings should be an example for your whole life. You should meditate on them in a different way. To this point we have considered Christ’s Passion as a sacrament that works in us. Now we want to consider the sufferings of Christ in a different way, in a way that is something that works in us when we suffer. When the day comes that sickness and sorrow weigh you down, think how little it matters compared to the thorns and nails of Christ. If you have to do something you don’t want, or can’t do something you want to do, think about how Christ was led about by others, tied up as a prisoner.

When your heart is set on Christ, you are an enemy of sin, because of love, and not because you are afraid of being punished.

Does pride attack you? Look at how your Lord was mocked and disgraced along with murderers. Do sexually impure thoughts and lust come your way, thrusting themselves on you? Think how bitter it was for Christ to have his tender flesh torn, pierced and beaten, again and again. Are hatred and envy at war within you, or are you seeking vengeance? Remember how Christ prayed for you, and all of his enemies, with many tears and cries. He had more reason than you to seek revenge! If any trouble or adversity trouble your body or soul, take heart! Say, “Why shouldn’t I also not suffer a little since my Lord sweat blood in the Garden because of his anxiety and grief? I would be a lazy, disgraceful servant if all I want to do is lie in bed while my Lord is forced to do battle with a painful death.”

This is how you find strength in Christ and are comforted when you struggle with all kinds of vice and bad habits. This is the right way to meditate on the Passion of Christ. This is the fruit of His suffering. People who make the life and name of Christ part of their own life are truly called Christians, as Paul says in Galatians 5:24: “Those who are in Christ have crucified the flesh with all its passions and lusts.” We need to meditate on Christ’s passion, not with lots of words or with a showy display, but put it to true use in our lives. Paul admonishes us in Hebrews 12:3, “Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” Peter says in 1 Peter 4:1: “Since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking.”

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Rev. Paul T. McCain is Publisher and Executive Director of the Editorial Division of Concordia Publishing House (CPH). He served as general editor of Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, a reader’s edition.

This article is a selection from Martin Luther’s “Sermon Concerning Meditation on the Holy Sufferings of Christ.” The translation above is Rev. McCain’s adaptation of a 1906 translation, and appears here by kind permission of CPH. The full, uncut version of the sermon is available from CPH in a tract entitled “How to Meditate on the Passion of Christ.” © 2004 Concordia Publishing House, www.cph.org. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

Rev. Dr. Gottfried Martens

GERMANY – German Christian magazine ideaSpektrum has named Rev. Dr. Gottfried Martens “Pastor of the Year” for 2012, an honour given in recognition of his work over the past five years caring for Iranian converts to Christianity.

The growing number of Iranian converts to Christianity in Germany was highlighted in a 2012 article for Christianity Today entitled “The other Iranian Revolution.” That article, which featured Dr. Martens and his work, noted that Germany is now home to the largest Iranian community in Western Europe with approximately 150,000 Iranian immigrants. The January 2013 issue of SELKinfo further notes that dozens of Iranian Muslims in Germany are estimated to be converting to Christianity every month.

“These refugees are taking unimaginable risks to live their Christian faith,” says Dr. Martens in the article for Christianity Today. “Imagine! Of all places, God chooses eastern Germany, one of the world’s most godless regions, as the stage for a spiritual awakening among Persians.”

The article goes on to explain how numerous Iranian Muslims are reportedly receiving visions of Christ as a precursor to their conversions. “He always makes it clear that he is Jesus of the Bible, not Isa of the Qu’ran,” the authors write, “and He directs them to specific pastors, priests, congregations, or house churches, where they later hear the gospel.”

“As a confessional Lutheran, I am not given to Schwarmerei [ie, religious enthusiasm],” explains Dr. Martens in the article. “But these reports of visions sound very convincing.”

Dr. Martens’ congregation (St. Mary’s Lutheran, Berlin-Zehlendorf) has grown substantially from 200 to 900 members over the past twenty years, and is a congregation of Germany’s Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church (SELK). SELK is a member of the International Lutheran Council, a worldwide association of confessional Lutheran churches bodies, of which Lutheran Church–Canada is also a member.

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WINNIPEG

The conference will take place July 5-7 in Winnipeg. It is organized in partnership with the Lutheran Laymen’s League of Canada and Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM). Reach Out Canada is patterned after LHM’s popular Regional Outreach Conferences (ROC). During the three-day event, ROC participants will share some plenary sessions and workshops with youth and volunteers attending LCC’s National Youth Gathering on the campus of the University of Manitoba.

Reach Out Canada will also feature dynamic speakers (including Rev. Greg Seltz, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour), practical workshops, outreach events, and a special Celebration Service to celebrate Lutheran Church–Canada’s 25th anniversary.

The event will take place at the University of Manitoba and Canad Inns Destination Centre—Fort Gary. A special hotel rate at Canad Inns has been negotiated for $112/night (plus taxes). To make a reservation at this rate, call (204) 261-7540 or 1-888-332-2623 and state you are with Lutheran Hour Ministries.

For more information, visit roc.lutheranchurch.ca. The site also provides resources to share with your congregation, including bulletin announcements. To register, please visit Lutheran Hour Ministries’ website here.

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by Leonardo Neitzel

The official language of Cambodia is Khmer; its religion, Buddhism. The country is still in recovery, in some ways, from Pol Pot’s massive killings of his own people in the 1970s. Today, the economy is in steady progress, and people seem very happy and very busy in their daily routine. In general they are polite, respectful, sociable, caring, and appreciative in relating to foreigners. Many have some basic understanding of English and love to interact and try their language skills with visitors.

As a result of these things, Cambodia has a great openness for the proclamation of the Gospel, paving the way for local mission outreach. As the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cambodia (ELCC) gradually trains church workers for mission work, relationships and personal witness of the Gospel with families, friends, and neighbours plays an important role in the training.

Genocide under Pol Pot in the 1970s has created a generation gap in Cambodia. But on the other hand, the population is now growing, meaning there are millions of youth and children in need of the Gospel and Christian care—millions within easy reach of the Church.

“Lord, let Thy Kingdom Come”

In his explanation of the Second Petition of the Lord’s Prayer, Martin Luther affirms that “the kingdom of God certainly comes by itself without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may come to us also.” Luther also explains the “how” of the coming of the Lord’s Kingdom in this way: “God’s kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity.”

As we travel, meet, and visit LCC’s partner church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cambodia (ELCC) and its mission fields, the contrasting Buddhist temples and shrines of all sorts and shapes everywhere, contrasting with a thriving economy and great poverty walking side by side, the almost total absence of knowledge about Christ and all He provides, one prayer keeps coming to our heart and mind: Lord, let Your Kingdom come to this country, to this people, so that all may be blessed with Your Holy Spirit through the proclamation of Your Word, may believe in Jesus Christ as Saviour and be saved.

The ELCC and its Mission

President Vannarith Chhim’s cricket farm.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cambodia has approximately 1700 members, 14 pastors, and 10 evangelist deaconesses. It has congregations established in several regions of the country. Church workers do not receive an income from the church so they run secular small businesses and jobs to maintain their families. President Vannarith Chhim raises and sells crickets, which is a famous dish in Cambodia.

Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) supports the ELCC with several mission projects. LCC has assisted its sister church in Cambodia with flood relief support and, later on, drought relief support, as well as in other small projects. Through Lutheran Women’s Missionary League-Canada contributions, LCC is supporting the work of ten women evangelists for a cost of $22,000 CAD over a period of three years. These women teach Sunday schools, instruction in Luther’s Small Catechism, and visit families and the homebound, among other activities. President Vannarith is appreciative of LCC’s partnership with the ELCC and looks forward to future joint effort in the Lord’s mission in his country.

As ELCC continues its work in reaching out locally with the Gospel and loving care to the people of Cambodia, LCC will continue supporting its work with them in national leadership training, evangelism work, and other activities. We continue praying for the church and for the people in Cambodia, and thank God for the blessing that is the relationship LCC has with ELCC. We continue to pray that the Lord would bless the people with His tri-dimensional Kingdom of grace, power, and glory—that the people of ELCC may rejoice in the salvation accomplished through the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; that they may rejoice in knowing Jesus as their Lord and no other; and that they may rejoice in the coming of the Kingdom of Glory with all the blessings it entails.

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Rev. Dr. Leonardo Neitzel is Lutheran Church–Canada’s executive for missions and social ministry.

The remains of a shrine to Pan at Caesarea Philippi

by Mathew Block

I returned yesterday to Canada from a whirlwind tour of the Holy Land with The Canadian Church Press. As I’ve written earlier, our first days were spent visiting Caesarea, Nazareth, Capernaum, and Galilee. On Wednesday and Thursday we turned our attention to other biblical and historical sites.

On Wednesday we visited the Banias area, an area of Israel which was, in biblical times, an area devoted to the Greek demigod Pan. There we saw, in the ruins of Caesarea Philippi, places which once housed shrines to Pan and to Zeus—poignant symbols that, as Habakkuk reminds us, such idols are profitless, mute things (Habakkuk 2:18-19). Zeus, the “king of the gods,” lies dead and silent, his temples laid waste. Yet the Church of Jesus Christ stands to this day, the gates of hell never prevailing against it (Matthew 16:18).

The remains of the temple to Zeus at Caesarea Philippi.

That last reference is something Jesus promised Peter following his great confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16). Fittingly enough, that confession was made in the same region we visited when we saw the ruins of Zeus and Pan’s shrines—in the region of Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:13).

The same story of Peter’s Great Confession includes the note that, “from that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Matthew 16:21). So too those of us visiting Israel would also soon go to Jerusalem to follow Christ on His way to the tomb. But before that, we would also visit Crusader-era Muslim ruins at Nimrod Fortress on Wednesday, and the site of Jewish rebellion against Roman authorities at the remarkably preserved mountaintop fortress of Masada on Thursday—reminders that conflict over possession of the Holy Land is nothing new. The former is in the top-most Northern part of Israel. The latter is as far South as we travelled during The Canadian Church Press’ tour to Israel.

The same day we visited Masada, we also visited Qumran, where the Essenes once lived. This Jewish sect, which lived in the desert by the Dead Sea, was wiped out by Romans sometime around 68 AD. While the community was destroyed, their library was not: the Dead Sea Scrolls are believed to be the remains of their religious texts. Among these scrolls are scrolls or fragments of scrolls of all Old Testament books except Esther, and date back to the second century before Christ, making them the oldest extant copies of the Old Testament in existence.

The entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Thursday night we arrived in Jerusalem, and there we would stay in a hotel just a few blocks from the Christian Quarter of the Old City. Earlier in the day on our way to Qumran, we visited the traditional site of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River, and on Friday we visited Bethlehem to visit the Shepherd’s Fields and the Church of the Nativity. Friday we also visited the Western Wall, the retaining wall which surrounded the Temple which Christ Himself visited two millenia ago.

On Saturday we followed Christ’s path to the Garden of Gethsemane at the Mount of Olives, before turning to the two places most popularly believed to be the sites of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. The first of these is the Garden Tomb, found near a cliff face which resembles a human skull—Golgotha, the “place of the skull,” it is believed. This tomb, with its clear groove for a rock to seal the entrance, has been accepted by many Protestants as a likely candidate for the tomb of Christ. But tradition has long held the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to be the true location of the tomb. And this place too we visited.

Regardless which (if either) of these sites is the true tomb of Christ, as our guide at the Garden Tomb reminded us, one thing is certain: whatever tomb Christ once lay in is empty. He defeated death! He rose from the dead! Whether you ever visit the Holy Land for yourself or not, of that you can be sure!

Inside the cave at the Garden Tomb: the area where the body of Jesus is believed to have been placed.

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EDMONTON

Dr. Fickensher explained in a letter that, while he was “deeply honored” by the seminary’s call, he regretted he was unable to accept it. “I could return the call only because I believe God is giving me avenues to serve Him in Fort Wayne that use His gifts to me, particularly to teach men to preach, in a one-of-a-kind way,” he wrote.

“Still,” he continued, “I have total confidence that God’s kingdom in Edmonton and Canada will go forward exactly as He perfectly envisions. It’s very obvious to me that CLS is in a position to flourish with its next president.”

In an email informing faculty, staff, and electors of Dr. Fickenscher’s decision, Board of Regents Chairman Rev. Mark Dressler expressed the following sentiments: “We are no doubt disappointed that God has led him to decline this call, but we take comfort that in the Lord’s good time the right man for the office will be revealed.”

“In the meantime,” Rev. Dressler wrote, “we keep the seminary, and all who work so hard within its walls, in our prayers.”

The board and electors are currently considering next steps in the search for a president, with a conference call on the subject scheduled for March 19.

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The church in Nazareth commemorating the Annunciation to Mary.

by Mathew Block

ISRAEL - I write this post from Tiberias, a city beside the Sea of Galilee. I am currently traveling in Israel with the Canadian Church Press on a week-long tour of the Holy Land. The event, which is sponsored by the Israel Government Tourism Office, has been a fascinating opportunity to see the land in which so many stories of the faith took place.

Our journey began Monday with our arrival in Tel Aviv. This harbour community, Israel’s largest city, is built in the same area as the biblical Joppa, which exists to this day. While we spent no real time visiting this city, it was a fitting place to begin our travels. This is an area important in Scripture as a place of entrance to and exit from Israel. Joppa was the city to which Lebanon sent cedars over the Mediterranean Sea when Solomon was building the temple in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 2:15). It was Joppa also from which Jonah set sail in an attempt to run away from God and his command to go preach repentance to the Ninevites (Jonah 1:3).

Columns marking the edge of the palace in Caesarea, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

On Monday, we explored the ruins of Caesarea, a city built by Herod the Great. This is the Herod who slaughtered the young boys of Bethlehem in an attempt to kill the Christ child. Caesarea is now in ruins, but even in ruins it is an awesome place to behold. It was here, perhaps, in the stones which were once Herod’s palace that St. Paul stood before King Agrippa II and Bernice, and the Roman governor Festus, bravely confessing the faith (Acts 25-26). Here also St. Peter, after having received a vision from God in Joppa, met with the Roman Centurion Cornelius and first proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ for Gentiles: “Truly I understand,” he explained, “that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (Acts 10:34-35).

Tuesday we moved back in time from the witness of the Apostles to the ministry of Jesus Himself. In Nazareth, we visited the church built over the ruins of what is traditionally believed to be the home of Joseph. So too we visited the church commemorating the Annunciation to Mary, its massive structure honouring the humble faith of the mother of Jesus. Told she would bear the Christ through miraculous virgin birth, she acquiesced to the Father’s will: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

Following the flight to Egypt from Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary returned to Nazareth with Jesus, and in that town He grew to adulthood. Sadly, it was also this town which so firmly rejected Him, doubting Him and even attempting to throw Him off a cliff (Luke 4:16-31). We gathered at the point on the mountain traditionally believed to be the cliff from which the people of Nazareth attempted to throw Jesus, reading the story aloud from the Scriptures. From there, we followed Jesus to the town He moved to after His rejection in Nazareth: Capernaum. Here we saw fabulous ruins marking the houses and borders of the small fishing village of Jesus’ day. We saw the place traditionally held to have been Peter’s home, and noted how near it (and all the houses in the village) were to the synagogue where Jesus taught and cast out a demon (Luke 4:31-36).

Ruins of Capernaum, with the remains of a fourth-century synagogue reassembled on the site of the synagogue Jesus preached in.

The ruins of Capernaum lie on the coast of the Sea of Galilee. In this area Jesus performed many of his miracles and spoke to numerous crowds. We visited in this area the hill from which Jesus is believed to have given the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), and even took a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee—that place where the first four apostles called by Christ once served as fishermen, the place where Jesus calmed the storm and walked on water.

So end our journeys from Monday and Tuesday. But the journey for Christ, of course, did not end in Capernaum. It continued on to Jerusalem. And before this week is complete, we too will follow Him there to behold for ourselves the place of His crucifixion and—thank God!—resurrection.

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Mathew Block is Communications Manager for Lutheran Church-Canada and editor of The Canadian Lutheran.

by Robert Bugbee

The world around us has changed. Take communication, for example. I heard recently of some young people living near each other, who could easily visit in person, but hardly ever do so. Instead, they “talk” and “listen” through endless texting and social media. Despite frequent messages flying back and forth, a certain distance has set in. A mother of teenagers lamented on Winnipeg radio last week that social media sites can cause feelings of depression, since some “friends” post vacation photos and bragging reports about all they are doing in a way that makes other internet “friends” feel left out or disadvantaged.

Then there’s the whole matter of civility. In the endless pile of comments following your average internet news story, critics of the prime minister or mayor not only disagree with the official’s policies, but call them “heartless” and “cynical” as though they can judge motives. Not to be outdone, the leader’s defenders spit back their own barbs, labeling the critics as “deadbeats” or “malcontents.” (By the way, this is an abbreviated list; it doesn’t include the ugliest words thrown around.)

Even in personal relationships, I’ve seen people rush to name-calling and harsh judgments toward someone, often before they checked out all the facts, and sometimes even without ever speaking face-to-face with that individual, offering a person the chance to respond or explain. Nor is this just a problem afflicting the faithless world “out there” somewhere. You find it among Christian people— including some very active in church, alas.

Dr. Oswald Hoffmann, long-time radio preacher on The Lutheran Hour, said once that there’s nothing in our theology to justify contempt for people. He did not mean, of course, that Christians should weakly go along with every outrageous idea or action making the rounds, nor that you should hesitate to identify nonsense for what it is. His comment reminds me of St. Paul’s plea, “Therefore, each of you should put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour” (Ephesians 4:25). Paul was discussing relationships among believers in the body of Christ. At the same time, it is wise guidance for relating to people in general. You and I do well to reflect on it.

There’s nothing in our theology to justify contempt for people.

You can almost picture the kind of talking Paul is encouraging—where you sit down face-to-face with another person and say what you have to say. At times your words may need to disagree or correct. They may be hard to speak and hard to hear. At the same time, you keep from rushing to insults and imagining you’ve got power to peer into other people’s hearts and judge their motives, since that is God’s business (Acts 1:24), unless their actions make such motives undeniably clear (Matthew 7:16-20).

Speaking truthfully to your neighbour includes more, however! When that person displays positive gifts and qualities, you ought to say that, too, just as readily as you would mention something sinful or wrong. Truthful speaking will carry a dose of humility with it, a willingness to recognize your own shortcomings—the ways you have failed. That never weakens your words toward someone else, even when you have to disagree sharply. In fact, it marks you as an authentic man or woman. See how leaders like Moses spoke with strong authority, not by always insisting on how perfect they were, but by blending their solid conviction with deference toward others (Numbers 12:3)!

We should be into Lent by the time you read these lines. It’s a rich season to focus on Jesus’ sufferings and everything His words and ways with people can teach you. When it comes to communicating, Christians can show their neighbours a bright new way. You can speak the truth about stuff happening in this world of ours, including deplorable influences that won’t benefit anybody in the end. But, following in the footsteps of Christ and His apostles, you can do it with a heart and tone which make clear you’re out to build and help (1 Peter 3:15-16). Go ahead and communicate in this way, through letters to the editor of the local newspaper, participation in talk-shows, or through your own comments on the internet as the Lord opens the door of opportunity.

When it comes to communicating, Christians can show their neighbours a bright new way.

Even if that’s not your thing, personal relationships offer a wonderful chance to communicate under the lordship of Christ. If you can move beyond the typical small talk and self-centered conversation to enter into another person’s life, to take a real interest in what that man or woman is up against; if you can, yes, speak correction when needed, but also warm encouragement and appreciation for what God has given you through that individual, it will go far to deepen your ties to a relative or friend. It can also help transform your church family into a place that lives up to that name, “family.”

Mark my words: People around you will notice the difference.

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Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee is President of Lutheran Church–Canada.

ISRAEL

Mathew Block (editor of The Canadian Lutheran magazine), Ian Adnams (Vice President of the CCP; formerly editor of The Canadian Lutheran), and their spouses, as well as Marion Hollinger (editor of Tapestry, the national magazine of Lutheran Women’s Missionary League–Canada), are all taking part in the trip, which is sponsored by the Israel Government Tourist Office.

“This trip is an excellent opportunity to see firsthand some of the sites where important biblical events occurred,” said Mathew Block, “and then to use the experiences and photographs taken to craft insightful, inspiring articles for the readership of our magazines.” “Our faith is built on a solid historical foundation,” he continued. “I look forward to sharing that history in greater detail for readers of The Canadian Lutheran.”

Trip participants will visit a number of Holy Land sites including the Mount of Beatitudes (where tradition states Jesus gave the “Sermon on the Mount”), Capernaum (where Jesus began his ministry), the Sea of Galilee, Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth, and his birthplace in Bethlehem. The trip will culminate in a visit to Jerusalem where participants will travel the Via Dolorsa (Latin for the “Way of Suffering”), which marks the route believed to have been followed by Christ on his way to Golgotha. Participants will end their journey at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre—the traditional location of the tomb of Jesus, where He rose again from the dead three days after being buried.

Other publications represented on the trip are the Salvationist (Salvation Army), The Messenger (Seventh Day Adventist), Alliance.ca (Christian and Missionary Alliance), The Recorder (Mennonite), Catholic Missions in Canada and B.C. Catholic Newspaper (Roman Catholic), The United Church Observer (United), and two nondenominational publications—Christian Week and Converge magazine. The Israel Government Tourist Office covers the cost of the trip for all members of the CCP; spouses were invited to also come but at their own expenses.

The Canadian Lutheran and Tapestry are both member publications of The Canadian Church Press, an organization of Canadian Christian publications. The association promotes high standards of religious journalism and encourages cooperation between Canada’s Christian publishing community.

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Padre Harold Ristau on 100 Huntley Street with host Moira Brown.

BURLINGTON, Ontario – In November 2012, Rev. Dr. Harold Ristau appeared as a guest on Canadian television program 100 Huntley Street to talk about his book At peace with war: A chaplain’s meditations from Afghanistan. That interview was recently made available to watch online.

Padre Ristau is a Lutheran chaplain with the Canadian Forces, and his book is based on a journal he kept over two deployments to Afghanistan. Upon returning from Afghanistan, Padre Ristau had published selections from the journal online. There, as Padre Ristau explains in an earlier article for The Canadian Lutheran, people with loved ones who had served in war kept commenting “how comforting these honest Christian reflections were to them, and how they helped them better understand the post-war emotional and spiritual struggles of friends and family returning from a theatre of war.”

“I didn’t want to forget what I learned [in Afghanistan],” explains Padre Ristau in the interview with 100 Huntley Street. “Perhaps there’s stuff I wouldn’t want to remember in the future, that I didn’t want to remember while I was going through it,” he acknowledges, but recording it all has a purpose. Through the book readers will see that “in the midst of all that darkness, God is there.” “It’s not just a description of this meaningless dark place,” he continues, “but how God’s at work.”

Watch the interview below. For more information on Lutheran Church–Canada’s (LCC) chaplains in the Canadian Forces, visit LCC’s website.

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by Peggy Pedersen

Most of us remember that old hymn “We are climbing Jacob’s Ladder,” but we forget that Jacob did not actually climb that ladder. Instead, the Son of God descended on it to bless Jacob. All religions except Christianity are trying to build ladders to heaven composed of good works. This is what men do. That’s why they built the Tower of Babel—to try to ascend to heaven.

Jesus says that He alone is the Way. What does He mean by this? It sounds exclusive and arrogant to most ears. A way? Sure. But the way?

We think of the City of Rome and how there are many ways to reach it. “All roads lead to Rome,” as the saying goes. But the distance between man and God is greater than the distance to Rome. An obstacle stands between us and God, and it is unscalable by any human means.

That obstacle is sin. God is holy and righteous, and nothing that is unholy and sinful can remain in His presence. “All our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment,” we read (Isaiah 64:6). At the core of sin is self-will, so all our acts of self-righteousness only increase the gulf between us and God.

Still, we do not only do those things which are “good in our own eyes;” we also do things our own consciences tell us are wrong. For God has charged us, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). This we have not done and cannot do. And having broken this commandment, we have broken them all.

There are two roads humanity takes when confronted with this gulf. One, as previously mentioned, is to attempt to achieve holiness and perfection on our own. There are many choices of ladders available to us: meditation, chanting, almsgiving, asceticism, and good deeds. But the question always remains: “Have I done enough?”

There are many ladders available to us: meditation, chanting, almsgiving, asceticism, good deeds. But the question remains: “Have I done enough?”

The problem is that you never can do enough. If you think you have, then you have added self-righteousness and pride to the things you need to atone for. You can’t simply compare your “goodness” to others; the standard we’re called to is the perfect holiness of God.

The other road people take when confronted by the gulf between humankind and God is to turn in anger away from God. Sometimes we turn to a more easily-pleased “god” or idol—usually ourselves—, or we choose in frustration to give into disbelief and harden our hearts. Both roads—that of self-righteousness and turning away from the true God—lead nowhere in this life. And in the next leads only to eternal separation from God.

But our Father is a God of love, mercy, and kindness. His love for us, His creation, is beyond comprehension. It is a love that gives all for the sake of the Beloved. So He provides a way of atonement. We cannot ascend to Him so He descends to us. In inconceivable love and mercy, God the Word incarnates into our own flesh and blood in the humblest of circumstances and quietly bears abuse, rejection, and scorn in order to deliver us. Why?

Many ask if there could not have been another way. But only one who was both fully God and fully man could bridge the gap. Jesus Christ is the only incarnate God. In Him—where man’s nature and God’s nature are combined— the two are reconciled. This is why there is no salvation outside of Christ, and why He alone is the Way. This is why He says, “No man comes to the Father except through me.” This is why He says, “I am the gate.”

Some of you may be like me and have tried many ladders. And perhaps you’ve found them all too short or too hard to climb. You have tried to swim the gulf by diving into the dark waters and have become entangled in the nets of false religions, idolatry, or the occult. Maybe you have given up on God entirely, deciding that He is either too far away or too disinterested in you. And your faith has faded first to a distant, imperceptible glimmer before finally dying. As a result, you have followed the epicurean path: “whatever feels good do it, for tomorrow we die.” Perhaps you look at your life and the people you’ve hurt, the sins you’ve committed, the distance you have gone from God and feel that there is no return; the bridges are burned. You dare not hope God could receive you again or rekindle your faith.

Jesus told a parable about just such a person: the Prodigal Son. You know the story (Luke 15:11-32). Jesus was trying to convey that we have a loving Father who yearns for us to return to Him—even when we’ve wandered far away. You might have “set the bridge on fire” when you left, or merely let it collapse from disinterest and neglect. But while you have been going your own way, He has been seeking you. And Jesus has done something beyond simply seeking for You: in place of the bridge you thought you burned, He has laid Himself down and become the bridge for you. All who come to it are welcome to cross: “Whoever comes to me, I will not turn away” (John 6:37).

Christ is the only bridge to our destination. No ladder can do what this bridge accomplishes.

Christ is the only bridge to our destination. All who want to be united with the Father must cross through His Son. No ladder can do what this bridge accomplishes. If you are looking for this bridge, you will find it where you always find bridges—by the water, the waters of Baptism. Confession and Absolution reunites you with that water, so no matter how long you have been away or how far you have gone, this bridge awaits you. There is a welcome sign over its entrance: “I have redeemed you. You are mine. You are forgiven”.

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Peggy Pedersen is a freelance writer in Victoria, B.C., where she is a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Pastors and Deacons Conference planning committee: Deacon Miriam Winstanley, Rev. Ken Maher, Rev. Arron Gust, President Robert Bugbee, and Rev. David Bode.

CALGARY – Planning for Lutheran Church–Canada’s (LCC) second national Pastors and Deacons Conference took a major step forward at a day-long meeting of the planning committee February 22 in Calgary. President Robert Bugbee and committee members, Rev. David Bode (Alberta-British Columbia); Rev. Arron Gust (Central); Rev. Ken Maher (East); and Deacon Miriam Winstanley (diaconate) met to establish a theme and work through details of the gathering, scheduled for October 28-31 in Calgary.

The conference theme is rooted in 2 Timothy 2:10: “Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” It embraces the Synod’s triennial theme—“In Your Light; we see Light”—by adding the emphasis from 2 Timothy: “for the sake of God’s people.” Through plenary sessions, Bible studies and breakout workshops, LCC’s church workers will explore how Paul’s letter to young pastor Timothy relates to our current mission and ministry.

“In this his final letter, St. Paul speaks to our vocation as workers in Christ’s church and the challenges we face as we proclaim God’s Word in an increasingly secularized country,” explained President Robert Bugbee. “By immersing ourselves in 2 Timothy, we hope to shine God’s light into our lives and provide the strength and encouragement we all need to serve Christ and His precious people.”

The planning committee will survey LCC’s pastors and deacons before deciding on specific breakout session and workshop presentations. While in Calgary, the church workers will have the opportunity to visit Calgary-area parishes and participate in service-oriented activities. “We want to ensure the presence of so many talented and gifted pastors and deacons has an impact on local congregations” the president commented.

LCC’s Board of Directors approved a funding formula for the event which includes a per-member assessment from congregations; gifts from individual members of LCC congregations; corporate sponsorships and, for the first time, a registration fee from the church workers. The national conference replaces similar district events held every fall which congregations already support through a per-member assessment.

This is the second time in LCC’s 25-year history all rostered church workers have met nationally. The first conference was in Winnipeg in 2004. The president explained that these infrequent but vital national gatherings “help build a unity of purpose and vision for our work together.” He noted that since the 2004 conference LCC has added almost 60 new church workers to its roster.

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Pope Benedict XVI

by John Stephenson

After publishing three book-length interviews with his fellow-countryman in the Vatican (two with the cardinal prefect responsible for doctrine, the third with the Pope himself), German journalist Peter Seewald is now working on the biography of Joseph Ratzinger. After his last meeting with his subject, held in the closing weeks of 2012, and in light of the impending abdication of Benedict XVI on February 28, Seewald has written movingly of a frail old man, blind in his left eye, increasingly deaf, painfully emaciated, drained of all energy after a lifetime of unremitting labour.

Before making the acquaintance of Joseph Ratzinger, Seewald was one of the millions of contemporary Germans who had drifted away from the church; he now attributes his return to the faith in no small measure to the quiet and thoughtful witness of his interviewee. The famous Reformed theologian Karl Barth once bitingly remarked that he knew of no one who had come to “joy and peace in believing” (Romans 15:13) through the work of Rudolf Bultmann, a radical New Testament scholar who considered the Gospels as works that belong to the category of “myth.” The fact that many will join Seewald in coming to a different conclusion concerning the ministry of Joseph Ratzinger constitutes perhaps the highest compliment one could make to the retiring Bishop of Rome.

A deep divide now exists among the theologians of all Western confessions between those who profess the truth of revelation and those who do not. If Joseph Ratzinger is not the “dean” of the worldwide guild of theologians who belong in the first camp, I don’t know who else could be nominated for the honorific position. Going on three decades ago already, my mentor the late Robert Preus (who was sharply critical of most things Roman Catholic) had considerable respect for him. In Lutheran circles, only Hermann Sasse springs to mind as a figure of comparable stature.

Since the Second World War, a variety of theologians have enjoyed the spotlight of their colleagues’ attention. In the realm of Protestantism none has gained the stature of Karl Barth. Among Ratzinger’s fellow Roman Catholics, Karl Rahner and Hans Urs von Balthasar enjoyed their season of fame, but Rahner’s thought is governed by philosophy, while Balthasar (though he had some good things to say) took off into flights of unwarranted speculation. What has impressed many Lutherans about Ratzinger is his rootedness in Scripture and the ancient Fathers and his quiet Christocentric focus. It is not without reason that, in his official reaction to Benedict XVI’s laying down the papal office, Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany (SELK) noted that many of Ratzinger’s positions have been “startlingly close [durchaus nahe] to those of confessional Lutheranism” (selk_news February 11, 2013).

What has impressed many Lutherans about Ratzinger is his rootedness in Scripture and the ancient Fathers and his quiet Christocentric focus.

The works of Joseph Ratzinger have featured noticeably in the text and footnotes of my own writings over the past three decades, oftentimes in the context of agreement, but not seldom in a setting of debate (Auseinandersetzung) where the Lutheran dogmatician (understandably) fails to see eye to eye with his Roman Catholic counterpart. Yet, although some big issues remain to be ironed out (and perhaps they will remain unresolved this side of eternity), a major fruit of the Ecumenical Movement has been the advent of greater charity in theological debate, and Ratzinger himself has been exemplary in the courtesy he displays to those who disagree with him.

Whenever I speak at Brock University (St. Catharines, Ontario), I aim to accomplish two things in any specific address: first, and obviously, to express something distinctively Lutheran; and, secondly (especially given that Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary—the institution with which I am a professor—is the only Christian institution on campus), I aim to say something that speaks for and to all believing Christians, and that therefore belongs under the heading of C. S. Lewis’s “Mere Christianity.”

As Ratzinger (especially during his quarter century as chief doctrinal spokesman for his church body) has himself said much that is distinctively Roman Catholic, I find it remarkable that he has crowned his tenure as Pope with the publication of a trilogy—Jesus of Nazareth—that represents a beautiful, clear, and powerful witness to Mere Christianity.

A couple of years ago, a seminarian from our German sister church who was having supper at our home with his wife, told me of the positive reception the first two volumes of Ratzinger’s Jesus of Nazareth was having in the SELK, with Bishop Emeritus Jobst Schöne leading the charge of appreciation. But, this student said, many professional New Testament scholars were upset that a non-specialist had made an uninvited foray into their discipline. After all, surely the subject-matter is too complicated and obscure, something inaccessible to the man in the street…

Well, as I recently argued in a review published in the journal of our two Canadian faculties, Ratzinger’s Jesus of Nazareth is a product of sterling scholarship that represents a literary triumph of Mere Christianity, a work in which believing Christians of all confessions may rejoice. Remarkably, just a few months ago the now retiring Pope held a copy of Lutheran Theological Review 24 (in which my review appeared) in his hands. He asked an American prelate working in the Vatican’s State Department to write me a letter of appreciation, noting especially Benedict’s thanks at my remark that he had “provided an ecumenical solution to an ecumenical problem.”

Ratzinger’s Jesus of Nazareth is a product of sterling scholarship that represents a literary triumph of Mere Christianity, a work in which believing Christians of all confessions may rejoice.

Debate (Auseinandersetzung) will, of course, continue, and I hope that another Roman Catholic theologian of Ratzinger’s stature will emerge to carry on his work. But, as a frail and exhausted man stricken in years now passes into the annals of history while remaining for a while alive on earth, I express my appreciation, admiration, sympathy, and prayers. And if, as talks between the Vatican and the International Lutheran Council continue, a panel of our theologians should soon sit across from their Roman Catholic counterparts somewhere in the Eternal City and this aged churchman and scholar should shuffle into the room, I would be most interested in what he might yet have to contribute to the discussion.

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Rev. Dr. John Stephenson is Professor of Historical Theology at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (CLTS) in St. Catharines, Ontario. He is one of Lutheran Church–Canada’s (LCC) representatives on the Working Group for discussions between LCC and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Dr. Stephensons’s review of Pope Benedict XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth appears in Volume 24 of Lutheran Theological Review (pages 109-122), a theological journal jointly published by LCC’s two seminaries: CLTS, and Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton. Read the issue online here.

Image used under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

LCC’s Council of Presidents discusses seminary recruitment in September, 2011.

WINNIPEG – Lutheran Church–Canada’s Council of Presidents(COP) has turned its attention to the topic of seminary recruitment. The issue came up for discussion at the COP’s meeting in late September, 2011.

“Recruitment of suitable seminarians is best not addressed through short-term programs,” First Vice President Nolan Astley wrote in a report presented to the COP at that time, “but through a sustained longer-term effort to keep this matter before the eyes of Synod, cultivating a greater awareness of the need for seminarians as well as an awareness of the gifts and skills typically found in such individuals.”

In order to increase public awareness of the importance of seminary recruitment, the COP contemplated a number of specific strategies during its September meeting. The January February issue of The Canadian Lutheran arises out of one of those strategies. Dr. Kettner’s article on “the call” encourages members of Lutheran Church–Canada to ask themselves whether they might be gifted to serve the Church as pastors, or, if not pastors, as deacons. The interviews with current seminarians give readers of The Canadian Lutheran a look inside seminary life, reminding them that God calls all sorts of men to serve as pastors in His Church—some right out of school, and some later in life. The students explain how they ended up in seminary, and encourage readers to consider whether they too should aspire to be pastors.

Developing articles for The Canadian Lutheran was one of many recruitment strategies discussed by the COP at its meeting. They also brainstormed the idea of a “Home Church Sunday,” during which pastors and seminarians would return to their home congregations to preach, highlighting the role their pastors and congregations had in influencing them to attend seminary–and encouraging them to continue identifying servants for the church. The COP also discussed the distribution of (new and updated) recruitment materials, making recruitment a topic for discussion at the National Church Workers Conference, encouraging seminarian participation in future youth gatherings, developing regional seminary events, and various other recruitment strategies.

“We offer these ideas as a starting place for further discussion,” wrote First Vice President Astley in his report, “as to how best cultivate among us all the urgency and importance of attracting suitable men to prepare for the office of the Holy Ministry.”

Lutheran Church–Canada’s Board of Directors (BOD) accepted new recruitment responsibilities following the adoption of the Memorandum of Understanding between the BOD and synod’s two seminaries in June 2011. The BOD in turn has entrusted this work to the COP.

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For our January/February issue, The Canadian Lutheran focused on how God calls pastors to serve the Church. To accompany Ed Kettner’s article on that topic, we interviewed four current seminary students to see what life in seminary is really like. Along the way, we were reminded that God calls men of various backgrounds, ages, and interests to be pastors. Some play video games. Others like working with their hands in gardens or on woodworking. Others enjoy skiing. Some are married with grown children; others are single. Some have wanted to be pastors since they were young; for others, the decision came later in life. But they they all have these two things in common: a desire to serve God and His people in the Church, and a willingness to be shaped into the pastor God wants them to be.

Click on the images below to hear, in students’ own words, what life in seminary is like at Lutheran Church–Canada’s two seminaries.

Why not take the time to get to know a few students actively pursuing the ministry? You might be surprised to discover you have something in common with them. And, just maybe, you’ll consider attending seminary yourself. Or perhaps you’ll see them and be reminded of men you know in your own congregation—men God might be asking you to encourage to become pastors. Why not share these interviews and Dr. Kettner’s article with them? It’s as easy as sending an email, posting a link on Facebook, printing off a copy for them, or putting the January/February issue of The Canadian Lutheran into their hands, with a few choice bookmarks marking the appropriate pages.

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If you’re considering pastoral ministry, please contact one of Lutheran Church–Canada’s two seminaries: Concordia Lutheran Seminary (Edmonton) or Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario). They can help you discern whether seminary is right for you.

Jeremy Richert

School: Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario)
Studies: Fourth year with one to go because he spent an extra year studying at a sister-seminary in Germany
Status: Single
Interests: All things John Deere and horticulture
Favourite movie: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Claim to fame: Was once almost struck by lightning (but claims this had no impact on his decision to enter ministry)

CL: How did you end up at seminary studying to be a pastor?
JR:I can honestly say that “pastor” was never on my “when I grow up, I want to be…” list as a kid. I wanted to be a carpenter like my dad, or a teacher so I could get lots of holidays, or a pharmacist so I could make lots of money. Becoming a pastor was something suggested to me by members of my congregation, and I was encouraged by many people along the way.

CL: What are the challenges of seminary life? The rewards?
JR: One challenge is the workload, which can be quite heavy at times. But it’s not all doom and gloom. There is great joy as you worship, study, and converse with fellow students—great pleasure as you sit and learn at the feet of amazing teachers of the faith. You learn to appreciate the saints who have gone before; you see how God has sustained and grown His church even in difficult times.

CL: Who encouraged you to become a pastor?
JR: The idea came from the encouragement of congregation members and family who were able to see in me qualities and characteristics fitting for a pastor. My home pastor also encouraged me along the way by inviting me to help with Divine Service. Some family members got me in contact with a seminary professor, and he continued to guide me along when he saw I was having doubts.

God uses sinful, insignificant men like me to proclaim his Word. Don’t wait for some inner voice or for God to speak to you directly.

CL: Why should our readers consider going to seminary?
JR: God uses sinful, insignificant men like me to proclaim his Word. Don’t wait for some inner voice or for God to speak to you directly. If you’re thinking “I’m not cut out for this,” good. None of us are. But God prepares and moulds us through His Word at seminary. If you have even the slightest hint of ‘I wonder,’ contact the seminary. After all, they had the same questions as you once upon a time.

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This is one of four interviews with current seminary students which appeared in the January/February issue of The Canadian Lutheran. Be sure to read the others here.

If you’re considering pastoral ministry, contact one of Lutheran Church–Canada’s two seminaries: Concordia Lutheran Seminary (Edmonton) or Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario). They can help you discern whether seminary is right for you.

Scott Gamble

School: Concordia Lutheran Seminary (Edmonton)
Studies: Second year, plus one year part-time
Status: Married with two children
Interests: Skiing on fresh snow, cooking gourmet meals, taking in concerts at hole-in-the-wall venues
Favourite movie: Fantastic Mr. Fox
Claim to fame: Justin Trudeau is his Doppelganger

CL: How did you end up at seminary studying to be a pastor?
SG:As I was finishing high school and people were constantly peppering me with “So, what are your plans?” questions, I took some time imagine my life in 10-15 years. Besides driving the Batmobile, the only thing I could imagine myself doing was serving people in the Church. With that in mind, I have since operated with the ‘if God doesn’t close any doors, I’ll keep moving forward’ policy.

CL: What are the challenges of seminary life? The rewards?
SG: The challenges are often the same as the rewards: it’s incredible to devote four years of life to growing in God’s Word and Christ’s work, but it’s also exhausting and stressful. Same thing for personal formation: I never imagined I would be ‘fit for ministry,’ but God takes this lump of clay and shapes the vessel he needs— and pottery needs to be fired in an oven.

CL: Who encouraged you to become a pastor?
SG:When I decided to pursue seminary, I thought it would be a bit of a surprise to people, but I generally got more of a “of course you’re going to be a pastor!” response. Since then God has regularly placed friends, family, teachers, and pastors that affirmed that choice and encouraged me to continue on—especially my parents, Alvina Wolf in my home congregation, and Rev. Russ Howard.

I never imagined I would be ‘fit for ministry,’ but God takes this lump of clay and shapes the vessel he needs.

CL: Why should our readers consider going to seminary?
SG:If you could see the motley crew studying at seminary, you would be struck by how God provides the Church with a staggering diversity of men who will fit exactly where they’re needed. If you’re considering ministry, your gifts are exactly what some part of the Church needs. Don’t obsess over what you don’t have; thank God for what you do, and ask where you can use those gifts.

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This is one of four interviews with current seminary students which appeared in the January/February issue of The Canadian Lutheran. Be sure to read the others here.

If you’re considering pastoral ministry, contact one of Lutheran Church–Canada’s two seminaries: Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario) or Concordia Lutheran Seminary (Edmonton). They can help you discern whether seminary is right for you.

Mark Schultz

School: Concordia Lutheran Seminary (Edmonton)
Studies: Fourth year
Status: Married with four teenage children
Interests: Woodworking, stained glass
Favourite movie: Old western movies (an interest that the rest of his family, alas, does not share)
Claim to fame: Survived a 28 km bike ride (uphill both ways) in his first week of seminary

CL: How did you end up at seminary studying to be a pastor?
MS: The desire to enter pastoral ministry came later in my life. I earned a ticket as a machinist and worked in that trade for twenty years. There were many unexpected twists and turns in those years. We moved a few times, and found ourselves in new churches and situations which fostered spiritual growth as well the desire to serve our Lord and the Church in other ways.

CL: What are the challenges of seminary life? The rewards?
MS:The work is demanding and sometimes difficult; you’re occasionally put in situations outside your comfort zone. But you go through it all with your classmates. Through it bonds are formed and faith is deepened. We are shaped into servants for Jesus’ sake. The formation isn’t always pretty, but as years pass, the rough edges are removed and the polished product begins to take shape.

CL: Who encouraged you to become a pastor?
MS: Encouragement came from a variety of places, especially from fellow church members. The bulk of it came at unexpected times and from unexpected sources. The decision to attend seminary was not easy and was ultimately mine to make, but encouragement in the years following has flown in abundantly, and served to confirm outwardly that the path I had begun was the right one.

There is no better vocation I can think of than to work for the people of God full-time.

CL: Why should our readers consider going to seminary?
MS: There is no better vocation I can think of than to work for the people of God full-time. At all times, seminary life is rewarding—especially through personal spiritual growth. At the same time, you grow in other ways as new skills begin to take shape. The most rewarding part is being formed to share the Gospel in various ways and various situations.

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This is one of four interviews with current seminary students which appeared in the January/February issue of The Canadian Lutheran. Be sure to read the others here.

If you’re considering pastoral ministry, contact one of Lutheran Church–Canada’s two seminaries: Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario) or Concordia Lutheran Seminary (Edmonton). They can help you discern whether seminary is right for you.

Milton Lam

School: Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario)
Studies: First year
Status: Married
Interests: Video games, electronic gadgets, photography
Favourite movie: Braveheart
Claim to fame: Considers Quebec to be home despite having been born in Hong Kong

CL: How did you end up at seminary studying to be a pastor?
ML:I’ve wanted to be a pastor since I was eighteen years old. Prior to that, I had expected to study Electrical Engineering in order to design computer hardware. I entered seminary seven years later, after first acquiring a bachelor’s degree in the Faculty of Arts and Science at McGill University. I also got married!

CL: What are the challenges of seminary life? The rewards?
ML:The close interaction between professors and students is the biggest reward! Learning goes beyond the classroom. It is also rare to have a gathering of people from all walks of life who share the common desire to proclaim God’s Word to the nations. I did not know anyone when I came to seminary, but since our goal is the same, it became very easy to soon regard them as true brothers and sisters.

CL: Who encouraged you to become a pastor?
ML: I would not be where I am today without the support of my family. I am deeply grateful to my wife, who has encouraged me from behind the scenes. Most of all, it is God’s Gospel that gives me drive everyday. It gives me energy to focus and do my best. I want everyone to hear God’s proclamation of the forgiveness of sins. Those sweet words were spoken to me when I was in despair.

I want everyone to hear God’s proclamation of the forgiveness of sins. Those sweet words were spoken to me when I was in despair.

CL: Why should our readers consider going to seminary?
ML:Seminary is a safe place to discern God’s call for the Office of the Ministry. The professors meet you where you are in life. Certainly, there will be days of distress, but there is also great comfort and joy to see God’s work in each other. He shapes us into faithful servants of His Word. You may not feel ready, but God is faithful. His Word works in us—just as it will work through us.

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This is one of four interviews with current seminary students which appeared in the January/February issue of The Canadian Lutheran. Be sure to read the others here.

If you’re considering pastoral ministry, contact one of Lutheran Church–Canada’s two seminaries: Concordia Lutheran Seminary (Edmonton) or Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario). They can help you discern whether seminary is right for you.

CLMS’ Board of Directors at their February meeting.

WINNIPEG – The Board of Directors of Concordia Lutheran Mission Society (CLMS) met February 7-9 in Winnipeg to plan for the coming year. A major topic of discussion was what mission projects CLMS would commit to support over 2013.

“As our society met this year,” said President Cliff Haberstock, “we were deeply aware of how essential our support is to LCC’s mission programs—particularly as funds from congregations are declining each year. It is a privilege to offer LCC members the opportunity to be directly involved in mission.”

To that end, CLMS has committed to raise $121,420 over the coming year for 23 projects in six different countries, including Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras, Ukraine, Thailand, and Canada. Among the projects CLMS will be supporting are Vacation Bible Schools, summer camps, and children’s education programs; university student outreach; ministry to orphans, at-risk adolescents, and the elderly; prison ministry; missionary and deaconess support; medical and dental clinics; church building construction and rentals; support for LCC’s Pastors with Alternate Training program; foreign student support; seminars for lay-people; and South Asian radio ministry.

“We give thanks to the Lord for our faithful partners in mission who continue to support CLMS mission projects with their gifts and prayers,” said President Haberstock. “I am excited about working with the gifted people God has brought together on our Board this year as we seek to advance the mission God has given us.”

CLMS is an Auxiliary organization of Lutheran Church–Canada and helps fund many of its mission projects. For more information on the projects CLMS has committed to support in 2013, see the Concordia Mission Advocate supplement in the January/February issue of The Canadian Lutheran (pp. 37-40). For more information on CLMS, visit their website.

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by Ed Kettner

What does it mean to say that we have been “called by God”? God has sent his Word into the world, and by it people are called to repentance and faith. We learn in Martin Luther’s Small Catechism that “the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel.” Whenever the Good News—the message that Christ died for us and paid the penalty for our sins—is preached, taught, and confessed, the Holy Spirit is at work earnestly seeking the conversion of the hearer. All Christians are therefore “called saints” or “called to be saints” (Romans 1:8; 1 Corinthians 1:2)—meaning that God has declared them to be righteous for the sake of His Son.

This call from God is not simply an inner feeling, or an emotional experience. It does not take place by some mystical encounter with God. It takes place according to His promise through the Word of God itself as it is preached and taught. That is where God promises He will come to us. Whether you were baptized as an infant, when God placed His name on you, or whether you were brought to faith later in life, you were called by the Gospel. And Christians are “called” to confess their faith before the world, and—according to their priestly calling—to give a reason for the hope that is in them (1 Peter 3:15). Confession of their faith is a privilege, a joy, and a responsibility given to all Christians as they carry out their daily duties.

Called to ministry

As important as the daily confession of the faith by all Christians is, God has also created the office of the public ministry to preserve His Church and bring others into the Church and so be saved. Christ did not consider His church simply to be a bunch of individuals worshiping Him in their own way and in their own time, but saw it as an assembly. The Church is the body of Christ, and He feeds His body as it gathers together publicly to hear those whom He has called, as they preach the Gospel and give them His body and blood to sustain them in their faith.

We refer to such men as “pastors” or “ministers.” In the church, we use the word “call” to refer to the selection, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, of men to be pastors of Christ’s church. We also use it for men and women “called” to other offices the church has created to assist the pastor in carrying out his duties—people we in Lutheran Church–Canada refer to as “deacons.” St. Paul opened all of his letters by pointing out that he was “called” to be an apostle by Christ Himself. The church has seen it as a good term for designating those whom God brings into the ministry, since it recognizes that the office of ministry and other offices the church has created are filled by God through the church.

In both the Old and New Testament we see God at work choosing people to serve Him by publicly proclaiming his message. We see examples of God’s call when He calls Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3) and the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6). Others mention that they have been called by God from out of the world for the work of prophesying to His people. In the New Testament we see Jesus also calling disciples, especially the apostles, directly. He even called Saul of Tarsus by dramatic act on the road to Damascus.

Through St. Paul, God has told us He gives as His gifts to the church some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers. He has given these public offices (all really one office, the office of preaching) for the purpose of creating a community of saints, which is that work of service that builds up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-12). Where God in the Old Testament called prophets directly, and where Christ called and designated His apostles directly, He now calls His servants through the church.

God called the prophets in the Old Testament to speak His Word to people who were prone to wander from Him, to call them back to Himself. Christ called His apostles to be eyewitnesses to His ministry, His death, and His resurrection, so that they could proclaim that Gospel to the world.  In the generations since then God continues to call men into the Holy Ministry and men and women into assisting offices. He does this for the sake of God’s people and for their continued feeding and strengthening so that they can carry out their daily work, growing in knowledge and faith so that they may confess Christ before the world.  He does this for the sake of good order and because this work must be done—or else the church, deprived of the Word, will die. While apostles and prophets were called directly, now He calls through His church, as the church names qualified people to carry out this work.

Does God want you to serve Him in this way? Every Christian should seriously consider whether they have the qualifications for the office of pastor or one of the auxiliary offices.

Does God want you to serve Him in this way? I think every Christian should seriously consider whether they have the qualifications for the office of pastor or one of the auxiliary offices. St. Paul outlines the necessary qualifications, both in terms of character and skills, which should belong to those who seek the office. But God also uses others in the church, who may see certain gifts in you, to ask you to consider such service. Your pastor may call you aside and tell you that he believes you have the necessary qualities for the office. With encouragement from others, you may find that a desire to serve God through one of the church’s offices has been kindled in you.

Sometimes we hear people talk of an “inner call” to ministry. The Scriptures do not use that term. In fact, quite often those who were called by God were reluctant to go. Moses, Jeremiah, and others gave reasons why they should not be chosen. Yet God stood firm in His call, and used them even with their limitations. In the New Testament, those called by Jesus simply left their livelihoods behind, be they fishing or tax collecting, and followed his call. St. Paul, a persecutor of the church of God, was called by Christ in a most dramatic fashion. Without consulting him at all, Christ tells Saul of Tarsus what he has in store for him.

At the same time, while the Gospel spread and a new generation of servants needed to be prepared, the Scriptures begin to talk about “aspiring” to hold the office of “bishop” or “elder”—terms that refer to what we today call pastoral ministry or the public ministry, as well as deacons, those ministers called to specialized service (1 Timothy 3:1). St. Paul in two different places (1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-9) outlines the qualifications for those who would hold the office.

Those who aspire for the office need to have this desire affirmed by the church. Through its colleges and seminaries, the church prepares and examines people who desire to serve, to assist the church in calling individuals who meet the expectations put forth by St. Paul. One of the problems with the term “inner call” is that it can put the individual’s desires and expectations above the church’s needs. At the time of the Reformation churches were plagued by people going from place to place, foisting themselves on congregations as preachers and leaders without any preparation and examination. In fact the churches of the Lutheran Reformation were accused of doing just that. That is why the Augsburg Confession states that in our churches no one is permitted to publicly preach or teach without a “regular call,” that is, a call from a congregation that is affirmed by the wider church.

This is to ensure that the person is qualified to be a preacher. In Lutheran Church–Canada, this takes place by the prospective pastor attending one of our seminaries and being declared suitable by the faculty, and then being affirmed for placement and placed into a congregation by our Council of Presidents. That placement constitutes the call of the church. After being placed, a pastor may, after a time, move to another place, if led by the Holy Spirit to accept the call of another congregation. In all of this we trust that God is working, keeping His promise in Holy Scripture to call people to serve the Church.

The work of ministry is not easy. Nor is it meant to be a place of prestige. In fact, those who hold the office are not as widely respected in society as they once might have been. It does not pay as much as many other careers might. Yet, the rewards are great, as you will be designated by God to be a steward of His mysteries. You will watch, under God’s grace, the Spirit lead people to faith and sustain them in that faith. Later, you may be with them and pray with them as they make a final confession of their faith and leave this world, assured by the word you proclaim that they will be received by Christ into the heavenly mansions. In that you can rejoice!

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Rev. Dr. Ed Kettner is Professor of Systematic Theology at Concordia Lutheran Seminary (Edmonton).

For more information on pursuing pastoral studies, visit the websites of Lutheran Church–Canada’s two seminaries: Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario) and Concordia Lutheran Seminary (Edmonton). For more information on serving the church in other roles, visit the website of Concordia University College of Alberta.

WORLD

“We want to commend and thank you for taking a stand on the Word of God,” write the signatories. “In fact, we praise the Lord that he has brought this good work to fruition in the life of your church. Your conscience-bound view that Scripture Alone is the only source of authority in deciding this matter is the view shared by the members of the International Lutheran Council.”

The EECMY is one of the largest Lutheran churches in the world, with more than 6 million members. It announced February 5 that it was severing fellowship with “those churches who have openly accepted same-sex marriage.” In 2006, both the ELCA and the Church of Sweden passed resolutions approving homosexual unions, to the dismay of the EECMY. In 2009, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to open the pastoral office to non-celibate homosexuals. The EECMY responded a year later with a letter calling on the ELCA to repent and overturn the 2009 vote “for the sake of the unity of the body of Christ, the universal Church to which all true Christians belong together.”

No response came, and so the 19th General Assembly of the EECMY (held January 27-February 2, 2013) unanimously voted to dissolve fellowship with the two churches, who they felt had abandoned the clear witness of Scripture. Official parting of ways occurred a few days later.

“We pray that the courage you displayed in standing upon the Word of God will spread to other churches in Africa,” writes the ILC in its letter, “as they struggle on how to approach historic partners who have departed from the Word of God.”

The letter was signed by ILC Chairman Hans-Jörg Voigt (Bishop of the Independent Evangelical—Lutheran Church of Germany) and Executive Secretary, Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver, III. Co-signers included the participants of the African Lutheran Theological Conference (held February 12-15 in Ghana):

• The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Guinea Conokry
• The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Burkina Faso
• Lutheran Communities Church of Congo
• Antananarivo Synod of the Malagasy Lutheran Church (Madagascar)
• The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liberia
• The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Congo
• The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Ivory Coast
• Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church Sierra Leone
• Lutheran Church Mission in Uganda
• Lutheran Church of Togo
• Lutheran Church of East Africa (Tanzania)

The International Lutheran Council is a worldwide organization of confessional Lutheran church bodies and includes:

• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Belgium
• Christian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bolivia
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil
• Lutheran Church–Canada
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Republic of Chile
• Lutheran Church—Hong Kong Synod
• China Evangelical Lutheran Church
• Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Denmark
• Evangelical Lutheran Church—Synod of France and Belgium
• Independent Evangelical—Lutheran Church of Germany
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ghana
• Lutheran Church of Guatemala
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Haiti
• India Evangelical Lutheran Church
• Japan Lutheran Church
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya
• Lutheran Church in Korea
• Lutheran Synod of Mexico
• Lutheran Church of Nigeria
• Gutnius Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Paraguay
• Lutheran Church in the Philippines
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Portugal
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ingria in Russia
• Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South Africa
• Lutheran Church in Southern Africa
• Lanka Lutheran Church
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of England
• Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
• American Association of Lutheran Churches
• Lutheran Church of Venezuela
• Lutheran Church of Australia
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in Peru

Additional information on the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus’ decision to end fellowship with the ELCA and the Church of Sweden can be found in this LCMS Reporter story. The ILC’s original letter can be viewed here. Read the EECMY’s official announcement at the link here.

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by Mathew Block

A boy is playing video games when his mother comes into the room. “Sean,” she says, “can you take out the garbage?” “In a minute,” he replies, eyes still on the screen. Ten minutes later his mother returns. Sean is still playing his game and the garbage has not been taken out. “Sean,” she says, “it’s time for a break. Go take out the trash.” “I just want to finish this level,” he replies.” Ten minutes later she’s back again. The garbage still hasn’t been taken out. “Sean,” she cries in exasperation, “are you even listening to me?”

Chances are you’ve been in that situation before: you’re trying to tell someone something, but he’s not paying attention. Sure, he hears you, but he’s not really listening.

It’s a problem we see God encounter time and again in the Old Testament. “Return to Him you have so greatly revolted against, O Israelites,” cries Isaiah (31:6). It’s a common enough theme in the Prophets. “Return, faithless Israel” (Jeremiah 3:12). “Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God” (Hosea 14:1). “Return to the LORD your God” (Joel 2:13). “You have not returned to me” (Amos 4:6). “Return to me” (Zechariah 1:3; Malachi 3:7). Return, return, return.

God is constantly calling the Israelites back to Him. And why do they need calling back? Because they have stopped listening to what He has to say. They have listened instead to their own chattering, to the myriad voices at work in the world. Eventually the noise completely blocks out God’s Word. That’s why He sent prophets—to try to get His people to hear Him once more.

If we’re honest with ourselves, we know this isn’t just a history lesson—the story of God and stiff-necked Israelites long ago. It’s our story too. God is always speaking to us but we’re seldom listening.

God is always speaking but we’re seldom listening.

We can end up just going through the motions as a result. Yes, we might give God his obligatory hour Sunday morning, but then we completely ignore Him the rest of the week. It’s so very easy to become “Sunday Christians”—people who keep faith restricted to (at best) one day a week. We’ll listen to God alright—but on our terms, when it’s convenient for us.

But don’t be fooled: listening to God part-way isn’t really listening at all. There’s an old saying which goes: “Going into a church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going into a garage makes you a car.” Jesus warned us of something similar when he told the parable of the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25:31-46). Simply calling yourself a Christian isn’t the same thing as actually being one. No, God’s people listen to His voice (John 10:27).

Faith comes by hearing, St. Paul tells us—specifically, by hearing the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17). And “hearing” isn’t a one-time act. We constantly need to be listening to the Word of God. We need it to survive. As Moses explained, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:3).

It’s continual feeding on the Word that enlivens faith. We constantly need to hear the Law expose our sin. We constantly need to hear the Good News that Jesus died to take away that sin. We constantly need to hear that, through His resurrection, we are raised with Him to new life, now and forevermore.

This isn’t a passive listening either. Once the Holy Spirit has called us and opened our hearts to believe, He then moves us to act. St. James encourages: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (1:22).

God’s people love His Word. “Oh, how I love your Law!” prays the Psalmist, “I meditate on it all day long” (Psalm 119:97). And as we immerse ourselves in the Word, we are transformed by it. We learn to “let the word of Christ dwell in us richly” (Colossians 3:16), and it changes the way we think. It leads us to act in new ways—to reject our sin and show love to our neighbour.

God’s people don’t simply let His Word drift by. They latch on to it. They hold on tight as if it were a life-preserver. That Word can lift them up and keep them from sinking, from drowning in sin and the storms of life.

God’s people don’t simply let His Word drift by. They latch on to it. They hold on tight as if it were a life-preserver.

This issue of The Canadian Lutheran reminds us God has appointed special servants in the Church to teach us that Word. We all have a role to play in the Church, but some people are called to full-time ministry as pastors, or to support that ministry as other church workers. They keep our eyes on Christ, constantly reminding us—as Martin Luther does in this issue—that Jesus’ death and resurrection is very Good News indeed, news we need to hear again and again.

This Lent, why not take the opportunity to “listen up” a bit more seriously? If you’ve never spent much time reading the Bible before, why not start? Read the Gospel of Mark; it’s the shortest of the Gospels. Even if you read only one chapter a day, you’ll be through it in sixteen days.

Bibles are certainly common enough; nearly everyone has one on a shelf somewhere collecting dust. Because they’re common, it can be easy to forget just what kind of book the Bible really is. Think about it! It’s God’s own words! God Himself has written a message for you! He’s close at hand, right now, speaking to you on those pages! Are you listening?

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Mathew Block is editor of The Canadian Lutheran magazine and communications manager for Lutheran Church–Canada.

ONLINE

Entitled “From the Cradle to the Empty Grave,” the series is available to read online or to listen to in podcasts. The series can also be received daily through email subscription, and churches can download printable versions of the booklet to give to congregation members or to distribute as a community outreach tool.

“Just seven weeks ago we celebrated Christmas looking at the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem,” reads an introduction to the series. “But just as babies aren’t meant to stay in a cradle forever, Jesus was not meant to stay in that manger forever. We have to let Him grow up in our minds—just as He did in real life.”

“Join us in the coming weeks,” it continues, “as Jesus fulfills His destiny making His way to the cross and empty tomb.”

The first devotion, released today on Ash Wednesday, focuses on Jesus’ time in the temple as a child.

Visit LHM’s website to access the devotion series.

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Dr. Carl Fickenscher

EDMONTON – The Board of Regents of Concordia Lutheran Seminary (CLS) in Edmonton has called Rev. Dr. Carl Fickenscher to serve as the seminary’s new president.

Dr. Fickenscher currently serves as Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Missions and Dean of Pastoral Education and Certification at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne (Indiana), having accepted a call there in 1999. He is also editor of Concordia Pulpit Resources, and has published numerous articles, essays, and sermons. Among other work, he edited Concordia Publishing House’s Faith Alive Bible (a study Bible for youth), and serves on the Commission on Theology and Church Relations for The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.

A longer article on Dr. Fickenscher will appear in a future issue of The Canadian Lutheran in the event he accepts the call to serve as President of CLS.

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Participants of February’s meeting between LCC and the CCCB (left to right): Rev. Nolan Astley, Rev. Timothy Scott, Dr. Michael Attridge, Bishop Gerard Bergie, Rev. Dr. Thomas Winger, Mr. Jonas Abromaitis, Rev. Dr. John Stephenson, Rev. Warren Hamp

NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario – Representatives of Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) met together February 1 in an attempt to chart a course for formal talks between LCC and the CCCB. Participants of the Working Group have suggested “Christian marriage” in general and “pastoral preparation and support for Christian marriage” in particular as possible topics to guide ongoing discussions.

First steps toward conversation began through informal connections in the St. Catharines area, and were followed by a brief meeting between representatives of both sides in May 2012 to discuss the possibility of formal discussion. After conferring with its Permanent Council and Commission for Christian Unity, the CCCB has approved a three-year dialogue with LCC. LCC entered into the discussions at the recommendation of its President, Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee, and the Commission for Theology and Church Relations.

At the Working Group’s February meeting, the Lutherans were represented by Rev. Nolan Astley (First Vice-President, LCC), Rev. Warren Hamp (Chairman of LCC’s Commission for Theology and Church Relations), Rev. Dr. Thomas Winger (President, Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary), and Rev. Dr. John Stephenson (Professor, Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary).  Representing the Roman Catholics were Bishop Gerard Bergie (Bishop of St. Catharines), Rev. Timothy Scott (General Councilor, The Basilian Fathers), Dr. Michael Attridge (Professor, St. Michael’s College), and Mr. Jonas Abromaitis (Senior Advisor for Ecclesial and Interfaith Relations, CCCB).

In September 2011, the International Lutheran Council (ILC)—of which LCC is a member church—met in Niagara Falls for its world conference. There it adopted a resolution seeking official dialogue with Roman Catholics on the international level, and encouraged member church bodies to seek out such discussions on the national level as well. Bishop Bergie was on hand for the event and brought greetings to the ILC on behalf of the CCCB.

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President Bugbee blesses the Bibles of those committing to daily Bible reading.

SASKATOON – Lutheran Church–Canada President Robert Bugbee traveled to Saskatoon January 13 to give a passionate talk at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on the importance of immersing oneself daily in the Word of God.

President Bugbee noted the challenges that Christians increasingly face in a society moving increasingly toward secularism and paganism. He stressed that Christians need to stay connected to God through His Scriptures, ensuring that faith receives the nourishment God offers through His Word.

Seventy-five people attended the presentation, and more than 70 committed to daily reading of God’s Word, either through the Today’s Light Bible reading program or another program like it. The congregation was inspired to try a daily reading program after hearing about the experiences of Lutheran congregations in Winnipeg. By using the Today’s Light schedule, participants will read through the entire Bible in two years by reading 15 minutes a day.

Regular encouragement via the church Facebook site keeps participants involved and on track.

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The event is “designed to encourage and build up LCC youth and youth leaders as we celebrate God’s work in our lives through Jesus,” promotional materials read. “God has called us to belong to Him in the waters of Holy Baptism and gifted us with faith. He has called us to Stand Firm.” The theme verse is Exodus 14:33-34—”Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

A number of special events are planned for the gathering, including Bible studies, guest speakers, concerts, improv presentations, a trip to Grand Beach (ranked one of Canada’s best beaches), and much more. There’s even the opportunity to visit Thunder Mountain Water Slides Water Park.

Speakers include Dr. Micah Parker (former university coach, founder of Trustguy Ministries, and popular speaker), Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee (President of LCC), Lynn Gergens (longtime youth leader and National Youth Gathering organizer). Musicians include qSarah Wemyss, Lost and Found, and Peace by Peace. American troupe These Guys will also be performing improv drama. Additional information on speakers and presenters is available in at the gathering’s official website.

Register online or download a printable registration from the gathering’s website. Early registration is $495 per person (housing provided) and $355 (housing not provided). For more info on the gathering, visit the official website here.

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Kelti Malone (left) and Jennifer Jade Kerr

ONTARIO - Lutheran Church–Canada musicians Jennifer Jade Kerr and Kelti Malone undertook a three-week, ten-show musical tour of Ontario during October and November. Several shows were held for East District congregations.

“This was my first time touring with a talented lady named Kelti Malone,” said Jennifer, who has sung at the last two national youth gatherings. “Her original songs, lovely voice, and multi-instrumental proficiencies made the experience a total joy!”

Kelti Malone kept a tour blog of their trip on her website, where she wrote that this “was my first time out East and it did not disappoint!” She similarly expressed gratitude to be touring with “my very talented artist and friend, Jennifer Jade Kerr.” Read her full recap at http://keltimalone.wordpress.com.

The trip culminated at the Gospel Music Association of Canada (GMAC) conference and Covenant Awards in Burlington, Ontario. Jennifer had been invited to showcase, and was further nominated for Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year for her album Permission. “My first time as a Covenant Award nominee ended in losing to Matt Maher, but really, that didn’t hurt too bad at all!” said Jennifer. “I consider the whole trip a great success, and am hoping to head out that way again next fall.”

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EDMONTON

The announcement was made in a joint notice from Dr. Deborah Hemmerling (President, CUCA Faculty Association) and Dr. Gerald S. Krispin (President and Vice-Chancellor, CUCA). They write that “we are satisfied both with the process and the outcome of the negotiations and will recommend that the principals ratify the agreement.”

It continued: “The Association would like to thank the University administration and their bargaining team for their dedication, perseverance, and willingness to work collaboratively over many hours to achieve this important milestone. The university administration is equally grateful to have worked on this agreement with conscientious colleagues who demonstrated their integrity throughout this process and whose faithful commitment helped us reach what we believe to be a mutually acceptable agreement for all of Concordia.”

The Faculty Association of CUCA was certified as the bargaining unit for all permanent faculty in May 2012 and is the only Faculty union in the Province of Alberta. This is Concordia’s first ever Collective Agreement.

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David G. Myers

EDMONTON – The Canadian Centre for Scholarship and the Christian Faith (CCSCF) welcomes people to register for its second annual conference May 2-3, 2013 at Concordia University College of Alberta (CUCA). This year the conference will focus on “The Social Sciences and the Christian Faith.”

The Keynote Speaker for the event is Dr. David G. Myers who will give an address entitled “Psychological Science Meets the World of Faith.” Dr. Myers is Professor of Psychology at Hope College (Holland, Michigan). His lecture is free to the general public and will be held in CUCA’s Auditorium May 2 at 7:00 p.m.

His work, supported by National Science Foundation grants and fellowships, has appeared in three dozen academic periodicals, including Science, the American Scientist, the American Psychologist, and Psychological Research. He has also presented his work in more popular formats through publications in four dozen magazines (from Scientific American to Christian Century), and through seventeen books. His work has brought him numerous accolades, including the Gordon Allport Prize, an “Honoured Scientist” award from the Federation of Associations in the Brain and Behavioral Sciences, the Award for Distinguished Service on Behalf of Personality-Social Psychology, and three honourary doctorates.

The conference cost is a non-refundable registration fee of $65 for students, $100 for alumni, and $130 for all others (plus GST). Registrations may be made online at https://onlineservices.concordia.ab.ca/ops_new/ccscf/form.php, using Mastercard, VISA, or American Express. For those interested in presenting at the conference, a call for papers and posters (related to the social sciences and the Christian faith) can be found at the CCSCF’s website.

“The general public continues to show a strong interest in religion,” explained CCSCF Director Bill Anderson. “The Canadian Centre for Scholarship and the Christian Faith wants to play an important role in that dialogue, in a variety of academic disciplines with a distinctly Christian perspective.” The CCSCF was developed as a place for scholars to conduct research on the relationship between Christian faith, academic learning, and the contemporary world.

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WORLD - It is not the kind of list any country should want to be on. Open Doors, a non-denominational organization dedicated to assisting persecuted Christians around the world, has released its 2013 World Watch List. The list ranks the fifty countries where persecution of Christians is most severe.

Once again, North Korea rank number one as the place where Christians endure the most hardship. A recent change in leadership in that country in which Kim Jong-Un succeed his late father Kim Jong-Il has not reduced North Korea’s brutality towards Christians. “In fact, persecution of Christians has increased,” says Open Doors spokesman Jerry Dykstra in a news release. “Reportedly, one labour camp alone could hold up to 6,000 Christians.”

The other four countries in the top five are Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia. Communist North Korea is officially atheist while the other countries in the top five have varying forms of Islam as their dominant religions. Interestingly, officially Islamic Iran ranks eighth and communist China ranks 37^th, far behind the other two communist nations on the list. Laos is ranked 18^th and Vietnam 21^st.

Open Doors notes that while the Chinese government continues to monitor Christian activity in the country, raids of Christian meetings and the confiscation of literature have become less common. Still, an estimated 100 Chinese Christians remain imprisoned for their faith. No countries in North America or Europe are on the list, and just one South American country, Columbia, appears at 46^th.

Countries that have experienced revolutions since 2011, such as Egypt, Libya, Syria, and Tunisia all remain in the rankings as well. Prior to civil war in Syria, the ruling Assad dictatorship allowed Christians to practice their faith but not to evangelize. Open Doors reports that the situation has deteriorated for Christians, with reports that rebels fighting against the regime have also been persecuting Christians. As a result, the country’s ranking has risen from 36^th in 2012 to 11^th in 2013.

Mali, once a relatively safe country for Christians is now on the list for the first time, ranking seventh. Muslim fundamentalists have taken control of large parts of the country, causing hundreds of Christians to flee.  “Currently the situation in northern Mali is similar to Saudi Arabia,” says Dykstra, adding “Christians are simply no longer allowed to be there.”

The World Watch List is based on reports from Open Doors field researchers, external experts, and academics. Open Doors was founded in 1955 by Dutch evangelist Brother Andrew and initially focused on assisting Christians in the Soviet Union and other formerly communist countries in Eastern Europe. In the 1970s and 1980s, it began work in the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Download the complete report from Open Door’s website.

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James Morgan is a writer and former broadcaster living in Gatineau, Quebec where he is completing a Ph.D in History at the University of Ottawa. His home congregation is Trinity Lutheran near Gowanstown, Ontario, and he also worships at the Lutheran Tri-Parish of Western Quebec.

EDMONTON

“At several key points in history,” the course description reads, “Christians enthusiastically pioneered the use of new media. The first watershed was the shift from scrolls to books, when early Christians were early adopters of the new technology. During the Reformation, a similar shift occurred as Luther and other Reformers kept the newfangled printing presses humming.” It continues: “For the past century, electronic media have again changed the scene dramatically. How have Christians been responding? How do these newest “new media” create new opportunities for the Word?”

Classes will take place from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (MST) on January 22, 29, February 5, and 12.

Quest is a continuing education program, offering lifelong learning classes especially for lay people. This class is offered free to the public, and is available as a webcast for distant students. For more information, visit CLS’ website here. To register for the free classes and receive log-in information, contact Sandra Esperanza at development@concordiasem.ab.ca or call (780) 474-1468, ext. 229.

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CANADA

The following prayer has been released as a help for congregations wishing to remember the day in their prayers during worship.

Dear Father,

We thank you for having made each human being in Your image. You love all people, and because You love all people, we know that each life is precious in Your sight. Rise and defend the lives of the vulnerable: the unborn, the elderly, the sick. Turn the hearts of those who would practice abortion and euthanasia. Comfort those who have lost loved ones to such sins, and forgive those who have committed them. You tell your people in Scripture: “Open your mouth for the speechless, in the cause of all who are appointed to die” (Proverbs 31:8 NKJV). Help us, O Lord, to be a voice for the voiceless and to defend the sanctity of life in our land.

Amen.

2012 was a significant year for life-issues in Canada. Parliament considered Motion 312, which called for a review of legislation regarding when a child becomes a human being. Currently under Canadian law, a child gains legal rights only after being fully born. The motion was defeated with 91 votes in favour, 203 against. In the same year, the Supreme Court of British Columbia struck down legislation forbidding physician-assisted suicide. However, the Court instituted a one-year moratorium before its decision would take effect. The Federal Government is currently appealing the ruling.

LCC adopted a resolution in 2011 establishing Sanctity of Life Sunday to be recognized on the third Sunday of every January. The resolution noted that “Lutheran Church–Canada has since its founding repeatedly expressed the biblical truth that life is sacred, a gift from God.” It encouraged pastors, congregations, deacons, and lay leaders of LCC to “make use of appropriate materials available from Lutherans for Life to education and inform the people of Lutheran Church–Canada about life issues” that they might “give a clear witness to the world regarding the sanctity of life.”

Information and resources on life issues are available from Lutherans for Life–Canada and their American counterpart Lutherans for Life. The Canadian Lutheran also featured an article last year on abortion, stressing the dual need to protect the unborn and offer forgiveness to those who have committed the sin in the past.

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Alpha and Omega members carol in the streets.

UKRAINE – This past December 25 was, as it is every year, a day of rejoicing for Christians around the world as they celebrated the birth of Christ the Saviour. But in Ukraine, the festivities came twice: once on December 25 and again on January 6.

“Maybe it seems strange to you,” writes Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) missionary Rev. Alexey Navrotskyy, “but many Ukrainian Christians celebrate Christmas two times. The first time we celebrate it on December 25, according to the Gregorian calendar and the traditions of western churches.” The second, he explains, “is January 6, according to the ancient Julian calendar and the Orthodox Christian tradition.”

It is the latter event that is a national holiday. The way in which each of these days is celebrated differs somewhat. “The focus of the December celebration is Divine worship and the church family,” says Rev. Navrotskyy. “The focus of the latter is family.”

But both days are still overshadowed by New Year’s celebrations. “At the time of the communist regime,” Rev. Navrotskyy explains, “the celebration of Christmas was forbidden over all USSR territory. Due to this, the celebration of the New Year has been elevated over Christmas.” But for that very reason, Christians in Ukraine celebrate Christmas all the more joyfully. “That’s why Ukrainian Christians value Christmas so highly now and use every opportunity to share the Good News about the newborn Christ and Saviour with their neighbours during the Christmas season.”

Rev. Alexey Navrotskyy leads worship Christmas Eve.

The Alpha and Omega Student Center (A&O) in Dnepropetrovsk, with which Rev. Navrotskyy works, took full advantage of the Christmas season to bring the Gospel to the people around them. They held a candlelight Christmas service, led by Rev. Navrotskyy, at the Lutheran Community of Saint Katherine, situated near the city park.

“A lot of people spend their evenings in the park,” said attendee Anton Maslo, “as the park is brightly decorated for the Christmas and New Year’s season.” A&O took the opportunity to invite these passers-by to worship with them. “Some young people from A&O set up a small stand right outside the church building,” said Mr. Maslo, “offering hot tea to the passers-by and singing joyful carols.”

Tania Muntian explains that this is a Christmas tradition in Dnepropetrovsk. “Every year members of Alpha and Omega Student Centre gather together as a team and go downtown to sing about the birth of the world’s Redeemer.” She continued: “We want to remind people that this day is not simply a day off work and a time to enjoy sales at the shopping centres. Christ was born! Let’s glorify Him!”

A&O also prepared a theatre night for January 8. The group of about twenty presented a play based Maurice Maeterlinck’s work “The Blue Bird.” The play invites members to ask what happiness is and where it can be truly found. About 400 people were in attendance for the two performances in Dnepropetrovsk.

Members of the Alpha and Omega theatre troupe perform.

A few days earlier, the theatre troupe travelled to the city of Apostoloff where they presented the play for local children and orphans at the rehabilitation centre. Following that performance, the group presented the children with gifts which had been donated by students at A&O. “Thanks be to our Lord Jesus Christ,” said Yulia Gaiday, director of the drama group, “for giving us the opportunity to share warmth and joy with children through our play.”

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This article is based on reports from Anton Maslo, Tania Muntian, Yulia Gaiday, and LCC Missionary Rev. Alexey Navrotskyy.

As we begin a New Year through the grace of God, we cannot help but raise our voices in gratitude for the blessings He has shared with His Church in 2012. Like God’s people in the Old Testament, we acknowledge, “The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy” (Psalm 126:3).

South East Asia

TCLC deaconess teaching children.

In South East Asia, Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) has been given the privilege and opportunity to work in fellowship with partner churches in Thailand (Thailand Concordia Lutheran Church –TCLC) and in Cambodia (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cambodia – ELCC). Over the past year, LCC supported the mission of these two churches through:

• Leadership training: LCC financed the past year’s courses at the Lutheran Institute South East Asia (LISA), where 39 students are currently training in pastoral and diaconal ministry. Provisions are being made to have a TCLC pastor come to study at one of our Canadian seminaries in the near future. This student would return to Thailand and be able to assist in theological training in that country. LISA’s vision is for more local leaders to become instructors in the LISA program so that it can provide for and foster the indigenous Lutheran missionary leadership.

• Missions in the Southern Province of Thailand: Since this region was devastated by the 2004 Tsunami, LCC has supported a missionary and his mission in Phang-nga Province. Missionary Suchat Chujit has several mission and preaching stations in the regions of Takuapa and Khok Kloi. Together with his wife they lead a strong outreach program to children and families.

• Women evangelists: In Cambodia, LCC has supported the evangelism work of ten female graduates of the LISA Institute. They provide tremendous support for the work of pastors and missionaries in both Thailand and Cambodia, since these evangelists introduce Bible stories and the Small Catechism to children and their families. Their work opens doors for future pastoral visits.

• Relief work: People suffered a great deal over the past two years, especially in Cambodia, due to severe weather conditions, first with flooding and more recently drought. Through LCC’s emergency relief, the Lord provided people with food and transportation during the flooding, and seeds for farmers after they lost their harvests in the drought.

Ukraine

SELCU summer camp team trains at the seminary in Odessa.

In Ukraine, LCC has supported the Independent Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine (SELCU), with particular emphasis in the following areas:

• Missions in Dnipropetrovsk: The Lutheran presence is strong in this city of 1.5 million thanks to the efforts of LCC missionary Rev. Alexey Navrotsky, his congregation, and mission leaders.

• Television ministry: Rev. Navrotsky leads this 30 minute evangelistic program through the Alpha and Omega Organization. It airs monthly with an audience of around 350 thousand people.

• Theological education: Six students are studying at the Seminary in Odessa. They are in their vicarage year in 2013 and will soon graduate and be ordained as pastors and missionaries of SELCU.

• Summer Bible Camps and VBSs: These yearly programs have a large receptivity and provide opportunity for Gospel proclamation to non-Christians.

• Humanitarian initiatives: In partnership with SELCU, LCC supported a number of humanitarian projects throughout the past year, including orphanages, prison ministry, a sanatorium, and hospital chaplaincy.

Central America

ILSN pastor and wife study at church worker’s retreat.

In Central America, by God’s grace, LCC has developed several missionary, educational, and humanitarian initiatives:

• Children’s Education: LCC is supporting children’s education (especially in Nicaragua) through full-year programs, tutoring students in their school studies while also teaching them about Christ and His love—work accomplished through the mentorship of pastors and deaconesses.

• VBS: All congregations in Nicaragua as well as in Costa Rica and Honduras are greatly involved in this means of community outreach with the Gospel, which take place during school vacations (January-March). This ministry reaches about 3,000 children and their families with the blessing of the Gospel.

• Continuing Education: LCC supports a program ensuring all church workers in Nicaragua—pastors and deaconesses—continue to have educational opportunities (including seminars and church worker retreats) to grow deeper in their own faith and learn how to strengthen their ministry.

• General Missions: LCC continues to work in close relationship with the Iglesia Luterana Sinodo de Nicaragua (ILSN) in supporting missions and theological education in their country.

By God’s grace we enter this New Year, praying that the Lord would continue using us as His instruments for the salvation of many. We pray that He will continue encouraging the congregations, pastors, and laypeople of LCC in the Word of God, in faithfulness to the fellowship of believers, and in the confession of the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray also that Gospel proclamation would be at the centre of the daily thoughts and actions of all synod’s members, congregations, and organizations. May the Holy Spirit raise, train, and encourage us all to lift high the banner of the Gospel of Jesus Christ here in our nation and around the world—that the Holy Spirit would make working in the Lord’s Kingdom a priority in our lives, “for there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7).

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Rev. Dr. Leonardo Neitzel is Lutheran Church–Canada’s Executive for Missions and Social Ministry.

Rev. John Van Sloten

EDMONTON – The Canadian Centre for Scholarship and the Christian Faith (CCSCF), with the sponsorship of FaithLife Financial, has announced the revival of the FaithLife Lecture series at Concordia University College of Alberta (CUCA).

January 30, 2013 will mark the first lecture in the series since 2007, and will feature Rev. John Van Sloten who will be speaking on “The Significance of Religion and Pop Culture for the Christian Faith.” Rev. Van Sloten is the senior pastor of New Hope Church in Calgary, Alberta, and is the author of The Day Metallica Came to Church: Searching for the Everywhere God in Everything. The lecture will take place at 7:00 p.m. in the CUCA Auditorium with a reception to follow.

The CCSCF encourages Lutheran Church–Canada members to invite their family, friends, and congregations to this thought-provoking event.

The CCSCF was developed as a place for scholars to conduct research on the relationship between Christian faith, academic learning, and the contemporary world. It’s second annual conference—focusing this year on the Social Sciences and the Christian Faith—will take place May 2-3, 2013.

The FaithLife Lecture series is intended to provide the general public with academically interesting ideas and their relation to Christian faith. The last lecture, held in 2007, featured Dr. Carl Shalk speaking on “Luther and Music in the Church.”

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Treasured sisters and brothers across the land!

The Lord puts a special picture into our hands. He permits us to celebrate Christmas in a northern country. This festival falls during the darkest time of the year in our part of the world, when days are shortest and nights are the longest. Many people do in their homes what we do in ours. They light a candle which glows warm and bright in a dark room.

This is what the God of heaven and earth also did by sending His Son down to save us. Our world is dark in many ways … too many. The gloom brought on by the way people ignore the Lord and hurt each other often makes it dark. Nor is it just a matter of what others have done. The sins you and I have committed have made the night darker still. There’s no point in pretending about that. Our world is laden with sin, weakness and failure. In many ways, that picture is not getting any brighter.

But, as the Bible says, “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world” (St. John 1:9). John was talking about Jesus Christ when he wrote that. Like a flame that warms the dark and brightens our way, Jesus came to be your Rescuer. We couldn’t fix the darkness on our own. The cure had to come undeserved, as a gift. That gift came with the birth of Christ at Bethlehem. That gift is delivered to where you are sitting, time and again, through the Good News God brings in His holy Word.

You and I don’t have to play make-believe, nor pretend the darkness isn’t really dark. We can face up to the darkness of a fallen world because the Lord gives us faith to cling to the Child Who took His place on the straw of a cow’s lunch box. In Christ we have all the warmth and light we need. He puts right what is wrong in our lives. He gives us what we need to cope with the problems that get you down in your family, your workplace, your community, and sometimes even in your church.

With these lines my co-workers and I reach out from coast to coast. We ask the Lord to bless the message of the newborn Jesus as it is sounded in your local churches and rejoiced over in your hearts. What an encouragement it is to have your love and prayer support throughout the year, and sometimes even to hear from you!

I pray God will open the door for you to bring this Christ to people all around you who need Him badly this Christmas, just as you and I do.

With love in Christ to one and all,

Robert Bugbee

President

President Bugbee in the country near Stotternheim. The stone marking the place Luther “was
shown the way” stands behind him.

by Robert Bugbee

The spot is in open country. It’s near Stotternheim, a village close to the city of Erfurt in former East Germany. A stone marks the place. A few trees surround it, and a sign tells the story to tourists. It’s where young Martin Luther, law student at Erfurt University, walked on a path through farm fields back to school after visiting his parents. On July 2, 1505, a thunderstorm overtook him. Nearly struck by lightning, he cried out a vow that changed his life: “St. Anne, help me! I will become a monk!”

Unlike shallow promises people easily make… and easily break… young Martin took this seriously. Within two weeks he left his law studies and entered the Augustinian cloister of hermits in Erfurt. He renounced the joys of marriage and family, personal freedom and money. His father was horrified. Almost a century ago, when the world was celebrating the 400th anniversary of the Reformation in 1917, a stone monument was placed to mark what researchers seem sure is the fateful spot. The marker explains what happened with these words, “Here, young Luther was shown the way.”

Is that really it? Was it the Lord Who moved him to make this promise and leave his previous life? To be sure, God used Martin’s years as a monk to make something perfectly clear to him: all the praying, fasting and self-denial in the world cannot expel sin from your heart. Obedience and pious conduct won’t erase your bad past. For brother Martin, however, the spiritual failure he felt as a monk accomplished one glorious thing: It cleared the path for Christ to come through; not Jesus Christ, the angry Judge, but Jesus Christ, Who took your place on His cross of suffering and was raised from the dead to open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

Was God speaking through the lightning bolt near Stotternheim? One can only wonder. Since then I have seen others—and sometimes myself—seem quite sure the Lord was working through some incredible experience to point them this way or that. Yes, there were times when life unfolded in a way that confirmed this idea. Other times it became apparent that we were reading far too much into the odd thing which seemed like clear direction earlier on.

In late December, during the shortest and darkest days of the year in Canada, you and I mark Christmas with hundreds of millions of believers everywhere. We don’t gather around a stone in a field. We don’t focus on a lightning bolt and what it could mean. Instead, we hear the clear voice of an angel, reporting from the night sky over Bethlehem, “I have good news for you. A great joy will come to all the people: The Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you today in David’s town” (Luke 2:10-11).

We don’t focus on a lightning bolt and what it could mean; we hear the clear voice of an angel, reporting from the night sky over Bethlehem, “The Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you today in David’s town.”

It’s all there: the Rescuer you need has come as a gift, not because of the good you did, but because God wants you to have Him. He came through a human birth in a real town you can find on the map. This Child, wriggling on the straw, is at the same time the long-promised One having all the authority of God Himself (Matthew 28:18). He has come near so you can embrace Him. He brings life so you may have it. You don’t have to wonder whether this is real, or what it means. The writer of the Christmas story tells you something about his book that really applies to all the Scripture: “it seemed good to me to write an orderly account… so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:3-4).

I hope you’ll devote time these Christmas days to surround yourself with things you were taught long ago perhaps, but which may have faded and lost their punch in the press of life’s busyness. Read and pray your way through chapters 1-2 of Matthew’s book, chapters 1-2 of Luke’s, chapter 1 of John’s Gospel. Before those readings, read and pray your way through Old Testament passages like Isaiah 9:1-7, Isaiah 11:1-10, Micah 5:1-3, and Jeremiah 23:5-6. Lingering over these words may not be dramatic as a lightning bolt, but God can use them to plant in you a childlike confidence to sing at Christmas:

What brought Thee to the manger,
O Christ-child sweet and dear?
Thy love for me, a stranger—
Oh, be Thou ever near!
O Lord, how great is this Thy love
That reaches down from heav’n above,
Thy love for us, by sin defiled,
That made Thee, God, a child!
(The Lutheran Hymnal 89:3)

——————–

Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee is President of Lutheran Church–Canada.

Participants in the discussions between Lutheran Church–Canada, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and North American Lutheran Church

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – A third round of theological discussions among representatives of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), the North American Lutheran Church (NALC), and Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) took place December 13-14 at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

LCMS President Dr. Matthew Harrison issued the original invitation to the NALC in 2011 so that the two church bodies could become acquainted. Lutheran Church–Canada President Dr. Robert Bugbee was invited to the discussions from the beginning since the NALC now includes a growing number of congregations in Canada.

“I’m grateful to be part of these conversations and thank God that biblical Lutheran church bodies are encouraging one another in the all-important task of proclaiming Christ, the Saviour of the world,” noted LCC’s president.

The NALC was organized by pastors and congregations who withdrew from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) after that body approved the blessing of same-gender couples and the ordination of same-gender candidates for the ministry in 2009. When the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) approved similar actions in 2011, a number of clergy and parishes in Canada followed suit, and others are still actively considering this move. The NALC has grown to 340 congregations and more than 100,000 members in North America.

LCC has provided assistance to NALC’s Canadian parishes and pastors in the area of worker benefits, and is inviting NALC youth and leaders to LCC’s 2013Youth Gathering in Winnipeg

In three meetings, participants in the discussions have discovered a strong degree of common conviction on the authority of Holy Scripture, the mission of the church in the world, and questions of human sexuality.

Missouri Synod representatives at the most recent meeting included President Harrison, Dr. Albert Collver, Dr. Joel Lehenbauer and Rev. Larry Vogel. Participating on behalf of the NALC were Bishop John Bradosky, Emeritus Bishop Paull Spring, Dr. David Wendel, Rev. Mark Chavez, and Dr. James Nestingen.

President Bugbee noted that “as mainline Christendom continues to fade all around us, this is no time for retreat, but a moment for clarity on biblical teaching and energetic faithfulness to the church’s missionary work. It’s wonderful to spend time with leaders who share that goal.”

The church bodies have organized a schedule of two meetings per year through to mid-2014. The next is scheduled for Dallas, Texas in May, 2013.

——————–

by Vern Vansteenburg

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:1-4).

I have been a pastor for 36 years. In that time God has given me the opportunity to speak to many who have found themselves in dark places filled with evil and despair. I have found that the light of God’s grace in Christ is able to pierce into this darkness, offering comfort, hope, life, and love—all through the blood of Jesus Christ. “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Let me tell you one such story of light shining in the darkness.

Kurt’s story

My wife Leslie and I knew Kurt and Susan as Troy’s parents. Troy was a friend of Amy, our youngest, both of them being in third grade. We had always meant to get better acquainted with Troy’s parents but “life happens,” as they say, so we really didn’t know them very well. One day in late August 2010, I got a call from Kurt inviting us for coffee. We were pleasantly surprised and eager to set up a time to get together.

The evening went well. We had a lot in common since our children Amy and Troy were in the same group of friends. Suddenly though, when we were getting ready to leave, Kurt sat forward in his chair. He said, “The reason we asked you over is because I have terminal cancer. I was wondering if it would cause problems for you and your congregation if I asked to have my funeral in your church, since I am not a member. My grand parents were devout Lutherans and made sure I was baptized and confirmed. But when my dad and mom moved to a small town where the only church was United, we didn’t go much. I haven’t gone to church much over the years but was hoping I could have my funeral in the Lutheran church.”

Once I got over the shock of these words, I assured him it wouldn’t be a problem. But before I could go into deeper detail, he said, “I have another question for you. As you know, I have been a peace officer for many, many years. In that time, I have taken prisoners from the Remand to court and back. Many of these prisoners spit in my face or stomped on my foot. Sometimes they received a judgement far more lenient than I felt fair.” “And,” rubbing his knuckles, he continued, “I would find myself dishing out a little of my own justice. Do you think that God will be as ‘just’ with me as I was with these prisoners?”

I told Kurt that God was, indeed, a just God, quoting passages from James, Romans, and even the words of Jesus. But I continued that God wasn’t only a just God, but also a merciful God who had no desire for any to be punished or die. Again, I pointed him to Romans, Ephesians, and the Gospels to reassure him that, even though he deserved death and punishment, that punishment was already carried out on the cross of Christ—through the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I assured him he need not fear death; because of the forgiveness earned for him on the cross, there would be life and salvation waiting for him.

Because of the forgiveness earned for him on the cross, there would be life and salvation waiting for him.

Over the next few months we had opportunity to continue these conversations. I found Kurt was more at peace each time we talked.

Then, in February 2012 the following year, I found that I, too, had cancer.

Journeying together

After a round of radiation, the CAT scan showed my cancer had spread and was now in my lungs. That meant it was incurable. My conversations with Kurt now took on a whole new dimension. We spoke about the preparations that we now each needed to make. We spoke of our concerns for our families—how they would deal with life without us. Still, the grace of God came through, reminding both Kurt and me that God had taken care of our families these many years, using us to ensure their security; He would continue to take care of our families as their loving Father, even when we were not there.

In the spring of 2012, having just finished a round of chemotherapy, I received a call from Susan late one week saying Kurt was in the hospital and that it didn’t look good. She asked if I could come to see him. I said I was feeling rather weak, but that I would try to come in by the beginning of the week. Early Monday morning, Susan called again and, with urgency in her voice, asked if there was any way I could see Kurt that day. I told her I would be in first thing that afternoon.

When I got to Kurt’s room, his family left so he and I could have a few minutes alone. Kurt had just received a shot of morphine and was beginning to relax as I spoke to him. We cried out to our heavenly Father, “Lord, have mercy, Christ, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.” We confessed our faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed, and prayed together the prayer our Lord had taught us to pray. I then asked God, in His grace, to receive His son into His gracious arms, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Saviour. And with that, Kurt used all his energy to sit up from his pillow and give me a hug. He lay back down, and I said “Kurt, the Lord be with you.” And I turned to leave. As I reached the door, I glanced back and said “Kurt, I’ll see you soon.” With a gentle smile on his face, he fell asleep.

I received the call from Susan the following morning: Kurt had died in the night. She said how much he had appreciated our conversations over the past year—how much he had appreciated my last visit. Even then, I could see the light of Christ shining into the darkness, bringing peace to a troubled heart.

I could see the light of Christ shining into the darkness, bringing peace to a troubled heart.

The light of Christ

I continue my struggle with cancer, but again God in His grace blesses me with life and opportunities to share His love and compassion. I know He is in control of all things. And I know he does so in love and compassion. He has taken care of my family in the past; He will continue to do so, even though I will not be there to see it. The light of His love in Christ will shine in their darkness and eventually bring peace to them as well.

——————–

Rev. Vern Vansteenburg is pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta.

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church will be holding a “Pretorius’ Christmas Worship Service” December 24. The event will include upwards of ten different instruments, multiple choirs, four corner church singing, a candlelight opening and closing, quiet moments of reflection, and loud celebration. “The worship service is very musical,” writes the church’s pastor Rev. Cam Schnarr, “and will elegantly capture the reality of our Lord’s birth and what it means for the whole world.”

Tune in December 24 at 5:00 p.m. (CST) at www.lutheranchurch.ca/video.php.

——————–

by Ted Giese

By the mystery of Your holy incarnation; by Your holy nativity; by Your baptism, fasting, and temptation, by Your agony and bloody sweat; by Your cross and passion; by Your precious death and burial; by Your glorious resurrection and ascension; and by the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.

Help us good lord.

At the beginning of this prayer—part of the Litany—we are reminded of the incarnation of our Lord. It’s something we also confess regularly in the Creeds: as the Nicene Creed puts it, “He was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary.” But what is the incarnation? What does it mean for Christians today?

It’s an understandable enough question, given the Christmas season. In short, the incarnation is the point in history when the Word became flesh and came to dwell among us. It is the moment when, as the Athanasian Creed puts it, “perfect God” became also “perfect man” in Jesus Christ—“composed of a rational soul and human flesh.”

At times in the history of the Church, this has been a hot button issue. There are still some erring sects and heretical groups with a poor or false understanding of who Jesus is, and what the incarnation means. These errors run the gamut from the subtle to the strange, but what they generally do is rob Christianity of the great and wonderfully tangible gift of mercy God gives in the incarnation. The world can lead us to think that spiritual things are intangible and somehow unphysical—in other words, something cut off from daily life. Something ethereal and unearthly. Something you can’t touch. The incarnation of Jesus, however, tells us that’s not the case.

Copies of heavenly things

Throughout the Old Testament, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit gave His people tangible things to grasp onto in the midst of troubles and suffering. Remember the account from the book of Numbers: the sinful children of Israel were plagued by fiery serpents in the wilderness on account of their sin. But when they asked in repentance for mercy, God commanded Moses saying, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live” (Numbers 21:8). Here, God gives something physical as a promise of His mercy.

These physical promises were not “idols,” but rather “copies of heavenly things” (Hebrews 9:23). God didn’t want these things to be worshiped (though, we learn, some people abused them in that way). Instead, what God wanted was to provide something for His people to hold onto while they waited the coming of the promised Messiah. Jesus draws this connection Himself while speaking with Nicodemus, saying the bronze serpent made by Moses foreshadowed the Christ: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life” (John 3:14). The tangible serpent set on a pole pointed to Jesus who would be nailed to the cross and lifted up in crucifixion.

The fiery serpent on the pole was a copy of an eternal and heavenly thing—and not just any thing but Jesus Christ. How curious and amazing to think that because of the incarnation, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity—God Himself—was physically present in the flesh and nailed to the wood of the cross for you. Heaven above was brought to Earth in the womb of Mary for this very purpose. The pain and suffering and sin of man were brought into the Godhead through Christ Jesus at the crucifixion. As St. Paul puts it, “For our sake God made Jesus to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Christ Jesus we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

God reaches out to touch you

God provides mercy upon mercy for His people. In the story of the bronze snake, God did not leave His people empty handed. No, He gave them tangible things to grasp onto. In the same way, He gives you tangible things to grasp onto. But the gifts you receive are different than the ones received in the Old Testament. They’re different because they’re not rooted in a Saviour who is to come, but rather they are rooted in a Saviour who has come. The Saviour has been incarnated. And so in the tangible gift of Baptism, the Holy Spirit puts faith into you and washes away sin with words you can hear and water you can feel. In the Lord’s Supper, Jesus puts his flesh and blood physically into your mouth, forgiving sin and strengthening faith; He speaks to you with words you can hear and bread and wine you can touch and taste.

God reaches out to you with His Word: the Father opens your ears and the Holy Spirit enters in, making the Word fall upon your heart. God puts people in your life to take His Word and read it to you, and teach it to you, and place it in your hands to hold. In these ways, though you don’t deserve Him, the incarnate Lord comes and touches you.

Though you don’t deserve Him, the incarnate Lord comes and touches you.

All of this is possible because Jesus is both true God as well as a living breathing man. Consider the testimony of St. John. He stood with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. He was there at the institution of the Lord’s Supper. He stood at the foot of the cross with Mary and stood at the empty tomb with Saint Peter. He was there in the upper room and saw the resurrected Christ and ate with Him. He stood at the place of the Lord’s Ascension into heaven.

This man—who saw and knew Christ throughout His ministry—testifies to the nature of the incarnation: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:1-3).

This is the heart of the incarnation: God is no longer far from us, God is not simply pointed at by copies of heavenly things but rather known directly in the person of Jesus Christ. As St. John says, in Christ Jesus, God was “seen with our eyes.” In Jesus, God has been “looked upon” and “touched with our hands.” Jesus is not a sign; He “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15).

The incarnation and art

At the beginning of this article, I quoted a small part of the Litany as an example of something that reminds us of the incarnation. This prayer is a literary reflection on the incarnation. In its own way it too is a “copy of heavenly things.” This is what the arts can become when they are creatively applied in the service of Jesus Christ. Hymns, songs, books, paintings, sculptures, crèches—in fact, a multitude of other tangible things can point us to the incarnation of Christ.

They must not, of course, become the object of worship. This is what happened to the bronze serpent God commanded Moses to make: it was destroyed in the time of King Hezekiah because people had begun to worship it. It was no longer looked upon as a copy of heavenly things but instead as if it were a god itself. Such misplaced worship is a terrible thing (2 Kings 18:4).

But on the other hand, when we follow the first three commandments while remembering that Jesus is “the image of the invisible God,” then we realize that the arts may be of benefit to the troubled soul. Because Christ opens for us the Christian freedom to express the mercies of the incarnation in tangible ways to a world plagued by sin, death, the devil, and the weakness of men, now the useful arts are a benefit to the troubled soul. Still, even at their finest such art is like bronze next to gold; they pale in comparison to the gold found in Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, blessed places where we are privileged to interact directly with the incarnate Son of God. In Baptism, he claims us as His own; and in Holy Communion, He—to borrow the words of the great hymn—gives His own self to us for heavenly food. All the while He speaks to us from His Word, speaking directly to us of His mercy.

Christ opens for us the Christian freedom to express the mercies of the incarnation in tangible ways to a world plagued by sin, death, the devil, and the weakness of men.

In this Christmas season, remember that a beautifully designed Christian Christmas Card, a well-appointed Nativity Scene, or even a Scripturally faithful ornament may be just the thing the broken hearted need to grasp the Good News of the incarnation. It may be the thing they need to remember that, at just the right time, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” By this incarnation, we are mercifully delivered from the hands of our enemies into the Hand of God in a tangible way. And while it may feel like we are gripping on to Him, we know the deeper truth that it is Christ who has us firmly in His grasp.

——————–

Rev. Ted Giese is Associate Pastor at Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Regina.

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. and EDMONTON

There is good news, financially speaking. Both seminaries finished the 2011-2012 fiscal year in the black. Moreover, the long-term debt at CLTS has been reduced by about 1/3 since the 2008 convention.

On academic matters, all parties highlighted the success of offering classes together via the internet. In these joint courses—seven of which take place this academic year—, a professor teaches a course at his own institution while students at the other seminary take part through video conferencing.

Interim President Norman Threinen (CLS) says this approach is yielding success: “Students have the benefit of a larger pool of professors,” he explains, “who contribute from their varied backgrounds and experiences.” A direct correlation is a more manageable workload for instructors: “The course load for professors has been somewhat lightened,” he says.

President Thomas Winger (CLTS) agrees: “Not only do joint courses allow an efficient use of overworked faculty members,” he explains, “but the students get to experience a broader spectrum of teachers, and everyone gets to know fellow Lutherans at the other end of the country.”

Of course, video-conferencing is not the solution to every problem: there can be technical problems such as slow internet. “And perhaps the human touch is missing,” President Winger suggests. “This is why we don’t believe that we will ever teach a complete programme of pastoral training over the internet. Some things just have to be done by a live teacher.” But, he continues, when used well, online video-conferencing is an effective tool: “Already there have been colloquy students and laypeople entering into classes at a distance that could not have done so before.”

There is still work to be done in bringing the two seminaries’ work into harmony. “Additional lining up of courses between the two seminary curricula needs to be done,” says Interim President Threinen, “especially in Systematic and Practical Theology areas.” The process has been delayed somewhat due to course sequencing differences between the two schools. “The challenge,” Interim President Threinen continues, “will be to plan so that the two faculties complement each other rather than duplicate instructional and administrative strengths.”

Both presidents stressed that a merger of the seminaries is not likely to happen—at least in the near future—for a number of reasons. “There is a common misunderstanding in our synod that the MOU requires the two seminaries to move inexorably towards an institutional union,” said President Winger. “There are many reasons why this may not be possible or desirable,” he explained, “though we continue to keep an open mind towards it.”

Interim President Threinen likewise mentioned the need to clarify that, for a number of reasons—the MOU committee has noted legal, financial, and geographical reasons among them—, the “much-expected merger” is not on the immediate horizon. “More important,” President Winger said, “is that we work together to be efficient with our church’s resources and to develop the family ties of our synod.”

There have also been growing pains with the MOU as the various partners learn how best to fulfill their individual duties. Misunderstandings have arisen, for example, on the financial support provided to the seminaries through LCC Financial Ministries. And LCC’s Board of Directors (BOD) gained responsibility for recruitment in the MOU. The BOD has delegated these duties to the Council of Presidents (COP), which is still settling into its new responsibilities.

Indeed, the importance of recruitment is underscored by the fact CLS had no first-year class this year. The COP met in October to discuss strategies in encouraging people to actively consider the ministry. As President Winger of CLTS said, “If we have a goodly number of good quality students, everything else will follow of its own accord, under the grace of God.” Some of the COP’s initiatives will begin appearing in the new year.

“I thank God for the way our seminaries are working together,” said LCC President Robert Bugbee. “They’re serious about ensuring strong pastoral training in our synod for years to come.”

The MOU committee has met three times since the MOU was adopted, and a fourth meeting is scheduled for January. The two schools’ Boards of Regents will also be meeting together in January, and will undertake a thorough review of the MOU at that time.

——————–

by Mathew Block

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

So goes a verse from the well-loved Advent hymn “O come, O come Emmanuel.” In the words we read here, we find mixed equal parts sorrow and hope. We confess that we are, indeed, oppressed by heavy darkness—that Death casts his grim shadow over us and deepest midnight circles us round. What is more, we know that on our own we can never escape.

And yet, we are not left to despair in the dark. We await the Dayspring, the Bright and Morning Star, the coming Sunrise which will finally put an end to night. It’s the story of the Jews awaiting the Messiah in the years before the birth of Jesus; it’s our story too as we await the second coming of Christ. Yes, we sit in the darkness of night. But we know Morning is coming.

We await the Dayspring, the Bright and Morning Star, the coming Sunrise which will finally put an end to night.

In the lead up to Christmas, we reflect on that longing anew. We watch. We prepare. We rejoice. And, finally, we behold.

But Christians are not the only ones in a season of “waiting” this December. A small number of conspiracy theorists have been predicting December 21st as the end of the world. The idea arises out of some Mayan records which cite that date as the end of an era—the ending of one cycle of creation and the beginning of the next. While Mayan scholars dismiss doomsday interpretations of these records, believers think the Mayans knew something we don’t— that some great catastrophe is coming and that humankind’s time is drawing to an end. Consequently, this has been a year of great darkness for doomsday believers. They have been living under the shadow of death, a shadow growing ever blacker and grimmer as December 21st approaches.

How different from the Christian’s hope! We too dwell under the dark shadow of death, but it is a shadow we know is defeated. We await reunion with our Lord Jesus; doomsday theorists see only the approach of death. At the first Christmas, God Himself entered into our world. In Him was Light, a Light that was the Light of all mankind; and that Light broke into the darkness (John 1:4-5). Yes, on the people dwelling in darkness a great Light dawned—and it forced the shadow of death to retreat (Matthew 4:16).

More than two thousand years ago, God sent His Son to be born of a virgin. He became man while remaining fully God. He emptied Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross, in our place and for our sin (Philippians 2:7-8). And how dark the world seemed as He hung on that cross! The sun itself hid its face, we read, “and darkness came over the whole land” (Mark 15:33).

But though there was sorrow for the night—for two full nights, in fact—joy came with the morning. Christ arose, the Son arose, the Light of the World arose!

Chances are you don’t know anyone who really believes the world will end at the “Mayan Doomsday.” But you nevertheless do know people dwelling in the shadow of death: people suffering, people caught in sin, people who do not know the rescue Christ has bought for them. Perhaps they’re family or friends. Perhaps they’re neighbours or coworkers. These people need to hear the Good News of the Gospel. And you—as a witness to the Light of Christ—have been given the privilege and responsibility to reflect God’s light to them.

You know people dwelling in the shadow of death; and you—as a witness to the Light of Christ—have been given the privilege and responsibility to reflect God’s light to them.

In this issue of The Canadian Lutheran, we examine anew how the incarnation—God becoming man in the Person of Jesus Christ—gives us something (or, rather, Someone) tangible to hold onto when the world seems dark. We see how Christ’s Light still illumines and comforts those approaching the end of their lives. And we read of the transformation Jesus’ words are bringing to places like Iran. God entered into our world at Christmas, and He is still at work in our world, drawing us to Himself, calling us out of the darkness and into His marvellous light (1 Peter 2:9).

Christ was born. The Word became flesh. The light shone in the darkness. Rejoice! Emmanuel has come to us, His people. And He will come again. Rejoice!

*****

We, the people of the darkness,
Dwelt in terror of the night.
Sin, the face of God obscuring,
Hid us from His mercies bright.

Then, in love the Father sought us,
Sent His Son on us to shine.
At the cross, He bled, and bought us
Passage into light divine.

Shall we, then, the midnight hour
Fear, or tremble at its might?
No, for Morning comes in power
To destroy the deepest night.

Christ is coming! Look, in vict’ry,
Christ is coming back to reign!
See the Light of Lights descending!
Dark is dead, and death is slain!

——————–

Mathew Block is editor of The Canadian Lutheran.

Recent Mensageiro Luterano cover story highlighting missions in Mozambique

MOZAMBIQUE – Mission efforts in Mozambique have reached a new milestone, as theological students there have issued a call to the Igreja Evangélica Luterana do Brazil (IELB – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil) for a full-time missionary pastor to come serve among them. The official language of both Brazil and Mozambique is Portuguese.

The students made the request in a letter sent to the IELB. “Without asking too much,” they write, “we students studying to be future pastors come to you… requesting one Brazillian pastor to come and facilitate evangelism with God’s Word here in Africa—particularly in Mozambique.” (The full letter appears as an image at the bottom of this story).

Eight students are currently enrolled in the Theological Education by Extension (TEE) program in Mozambique—a program organized by the IELB. These eight students are already in charge of six local congregations and have been trained to lead services. Upon successful completion of the program, the students will be officially ordained.

Even with that growing crop of pastors, the workers are few when compared to the need. The Mensageiro Luterano (the official magazine of the IELB) reports that, on a recent trip to Mozambique to teach a session for the TEE program, Rev. Horst Kuchenbecker was called upon to baptize 283 children and 91 adults over five worship services.

“It’s my prayer and desire that the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil receives this call with joy and commits to continue missions among Portuguese-speaking people in Mozambique,” said LCC Mission Executive Leonardo Neitzel. Prior to accepting a call to Canada, Dr. Neitzel served as a parish pastor and seminary professor in his home country of Brazil.

Mission efforts in Mozambique have a Canadian connection as well. Work in the Kapasseni area of Mozambique (where the TEE program takes place) began through the mission efforts of LCC pastor Rev. Joseph Alfazema and his wife Perpetua. While the couple has returned to Canada following Rev. Alfazema’s retirement, the work they began continues through The Kapasseni Project, a Listed Service Organization of Lutheran Church–Canada. In addition to other initiatives, The Kapasseni Project supports the training of TEE students by raising funds for in-country expenses related to their education. The Kapasseni Project is itself financially supported in part by Lutheran Women’s Missionary League-Canada (LWMLC).

“Praise God for the work of The Kapasseni Project and LWMLC!” said Dr. Neitzel. “Their generosity is making possible great strides for the Gospel in Mozambique. Please keep our African brothers and sisters in prayer as they share the Good News of Jesus Christ in their land.”

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The letter from Mozambican students calling for a full-time missionary pastor:

President James Cerdeñola at the 2012 ILC Convention in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

PHILIPPINES – The Lutheran Church in the Philippines (LCP) has achieved reunification after 24 years of division in the church. Delegates from the two factions came together for a conference October 23-26 in Antipolo City, and made the historic vote to reconcile October 26.

“We have done a lot of things that are shameful and have exhausted the resources of the church,” said President James Cerdeñola of the LCP, speaking of the nearly two-and-a-half decade division. “But after all the dialogues and talking between the two groups in the LCP, we decided to come together in a unification convention.”

The convention theme was drawn from the first verse of Psalm 133: “When brothers dwell together in unity.” “Praise God, we had a very joyful and successful convention,” said President Cerdeñola. “The two are now one.”

The same convention saw President Cerdeñola reelected to another term as president. President Cerdeñola was first elected in 2004.

“I came to know President James Cerdeñola a few years ago, since we serve together on the Executive Committee of the International Lutheran Council,” remarked LCC President Robert Bugbee at hearing news of this reunification.

“He felt pain at the divisions within his church, yearned for healing, and implored me and others to pray for the Lord’s help,” President Bugbee continued. “I rejoice with him and his co-workers that these prayers have been heard.

“President Cerdeñola has a great heart for the Filipino community in other countries, including Canada,” President Bugbee noted. “I hope we can find ways to encourage each other to do good work in the countries where God has placed us.”

The Lutheran Church in the Philippines has just under 25,000 members. It is a member church of the International Lutheran Council (ILC), and currently holds the position of Asia Area Representative on the ILC’s Executive Council. The LCP grew out of mission efforts beginning in 1946 by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

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EDMONTON

The first event—Gloria!—will feature Christmas music and readings, as well as the seasonal favourite, Vivaldi’s Gloria. Special guests include La Folia, Edmonton’s first period early music ensemble. The concert takes place December 2 at 3:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church (10014-81 Avenue) in Edmonton. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 dollars for students, and are available online at Tix on the Square, by calling Concordia Student Accounts at (780) 479-9313, or at the door.

The storyteller Rev. Lee Woolery joins JUBILOSO! Bells of Concordia, the Concordia Community Chorus, and Bella Voce to lead the audience through a recounting of the nativity, culminating in Alfred Kunz’ Christmas Kaleidoscope. The event takes place December 15 at 7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church (10025-105 Street) in Edmonton. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 dollars for students, and are available online at Tix on the Square, by calling Concordia Student Accounts at (780) 479-9313, or at the door. A special Christmas family admission of $40 is available at the door only.

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ST. CATHARINES, Ontario

As members of the seminary community read lessons from the prophets that prepare for Christ’s coming, the congregation and choirs sing beloved Advent hymns and carols. The service culminates with the announcement of the Christmas Gospel, through which students anticipate Christmas before leaving for holidays.

Members of the public are invited to attend this service of Word, music, prayer, and praise in person at the seminary, or online at http://new.livestream.com/accounts/771825/events/1690201. “You will be asked to create a LiveStream account in order to watch the video,” the seminary’s release explains. “This is safe and easy to do. Using LiveStream enables the seminary to broadcast events at no cost.”

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by Peggy Pedersen

We live in a world flooded with words, all clamouring for our attention—newspapers, magazines, books, television, radio, computers, and smartphones. Yet Paul in His letter to the Philippians counsels us to hold fast to the “Word of life” (Philippians 2:16).

Just what does this mean? First, let’s clarify what we mean by “Word.” At the most profound level, the Word is Christ Himself. The Apostle John wrote: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4). This Word, as the Bible testifies, was made flesh and dwelt among us, and His words were full of grace and truth.

This Word, as the Bible testifies, was made flesh and dwelt among us.

Jesus said that His words were not His own: “For I do not speak of myself, but from the Father who sent me and commanded me what I should say and what I should speak” (John 12:49). Likewise, God spoke through the prophets. For that reason St. Paul wrote, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16).

In Holy Scripture, then, we have God’s Word of revelation about Himself and His plan of salvation. So when we speak of the Word, we mean Scripture. But we also mean the living incarnate Word who is Christ. He speaks in what we read and hear in the Scriptures, and these words are unlike any other words: they are the very Word of God. And God’s word is always true, always powerful. When God said, “Let there be light,” there was light.

It has been said that we do not read Scripture; it reads us. In other words, it reaches the hidden places of our hearts and reveals the truth about us to ourselves. It answers our questions and fills the needs of our spirits. It meets us where we are. As we read God’s Word—I like to read it aloud so that it enters my ears as well as my eyes—we actually have a conversation with God. That’s why prayer and Scripture reading naturally go together.

Martin Luther wrote that “he who would correctly and profitably read Scripture should see to it that he finds Christ in it; then he finds eternal life without fail.” That’s because all the Scriptures testify to Christ. Indeed, they are all about our salvation in Christ—from Genesis to Revelation. In the Bible we find God’s promises for us. He reveals and heals our sin-sickness, working in us faith and life in Christ.

We need air, water, and food for daily life. Our spirits also need to be fed, and the food needed is the Word of God. Jesus said that no man can live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. For faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. And just as we can’t live on mere snacks or infrequent gasps of air, but need to have full meals and deep breaths, so we need to feed deeply and daily on God’s Word. He has promised that His Word never returns void, but that it rather always accomplishes its purpose. And what is that purpose? To give us life eternal.

The first commandment is to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. To love God with our mind is to fill it with His Word, to think of His Word, to speak of His Word, to meditate on His Word. To love Him with all our soul is to trust in the promises He gives us in His Word, to cling to them as to life itself. To love Him with all our strength is to let His Word be our strength in our daily living, teaching us His ways and bearing fruit in our lives. To love Him with all our heart is to cherish His Word as our dearest treasure, to turn to it as a sunflower seeks the sun.

To love Him with all our heart is to cherish His Word as our dearest treasure, to turn to it as a sunflower seeks the sun.

Scripture warns us that where hearts grow lukewarm and do not seek and hold His Word, His Word does not remain—like a passing shower of rain—and faith grows thin, weak, and dies. But where it is loved, and hearts are hungry for it, it is like a spring of living water. For God’s Words are unlike any other words; what they speak, they accomplish.

We are blessed that, as we meet in His Name, He pours His Word into our ears and through it, His grace into our lives as His Word combines with Sacrament. For wherever His Word is heard, He is present in His Spirit to draw us to Him, enlighten our minds, give peace in our hearts, speak forgiveness, faith, and life.

There are no more beautiful words than His words: “You are forgiven.” And again: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. I will never leave you or forsake you.” Hold fast to those words and all that He has spoken.

May the Holy Spirit give us a hunger and thirst for His Word, and may the Word of God dwell in us richly, overflowing into abundant life.

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Peggy Pedersen is a freelance writer in Victoria, B.C., where she is a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Image: africa / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Nominees are listed below in alphabetical order by last name, with each entry noting whether the nominee has accepted or declined the nomination.

Rev. Dr. Stephen Chambers (Edmonton, Alberta) – declined
Rev. Dr. Carl Fickenscher (Fort Wayne, Indiana) – accepted
Rev. Dr. Naomichi Masaki (Fort Wayne, Indiana) – declined
Rev. Dr. John Maxfield (Edmonton, Alberta) – declined
Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Oschwald (St. Louis, Missouri) – accepted
Rev. Dr. Andrew Pfeiffer (Adelaide, South Australia) – declined
Rev. Professor Jeffrey Pulse (Fort Wayne, Indiana) – declined
Rev. Dr. Victor Raj (St. Louis, Missouri) – declined
Rev. Dr. Harold Ristau (Angus, Ontario) – accepted
Rev. Dr. Detlev Schulz (Fort Wayne, Indiana) – accepted
Rev. Dr. Jonathan Strand (Edmonton, Alberta) – declined

In total, four nominees have accepted the nomination to stand for president: Rev. Dr. Carl Fickenscher, Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Oschwald, Rev. Dr. Harold Ristau, and Rev. Dr. Detlev Schulz.

All comments regarding these nominees must be filed with the secretary of the Board of Regents (Rev. Daryl Solie) before Thursday, January 31, 2013. The election is scheduled for February 9, 2013. Contact the secretary at:

Rev. Daryl Solie
190 Litzenberger Crescent
Regina, SK  S4R 5X9
Canada
d.solie@sasktel.net

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WINNIPEG

“Purchasing Gifts from the Heart is a tangible way for you to share God’s love with the world,” the catalogue reads. People can purchase goats, mosquito nets, garden tools,  chickens, trees, medical kits, children’s education, and many more items to bless those in need around the world. Contributions can also be made in honour of family or friends, with gift cards available upon request. These cards can be used to introduce people, the catalogue explains, “to the life-giving work carried out by CLWR in partnership with LCC.” To ensure gift cards arrive in time for Christmas, CLWR encourages people to consider ordering by December 3.

Last year’s Gifts from the Hearts helped educate more than 9,000 households in the safe use and storage of water, provided 1,800 farmers with tools, seeds, and livestock, and trained 360 community-based health care workers and teachers. It also raised $23,325 for LCC-specific missions and social ministry projects.

View the catalogue online here. Under the “project” heading, you’ll find gift ideas under such themes as feeding families, improving health, and LCC missions.

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SELCU's 2012 Convention

by Robert Bugbee

Beloved sisters and brothers in Canada,

After flights from Winnipeg to Toronto, Toronto to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Vienna, and finally Frankfurt to Odessa, I arrived in Ukraine November 7. Bishop Viktor Graefenstein of the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Ukraine (SELCU) invited me to attend their annual convention, which took place November 8-9 at Concordia Seminary in Usatovo, an suburb of Odessa.

I see real progress in the seminary building since I was last here for its dedication in August 2010. It is now a beehive of activity. Five gifted young men are in their third and final year of study, and are currently being taught by Rev. Colin Liske of Nanaimo, BC. He and his wife, Judith, are giving 12 weeks of their time this fall away from home to serve our partners. They’re doing it with a diligent and humble spirit, and I’m so proud and thankful we have pastoral families like theirs in LCC.

By Canadian standards, the SELCU convention keeps things fairly simple. They do not operate with advance printed materials, floor committees, or anything of that sort. They did, however, have a very full agenda, and the Thursday sessions went well into the night. I had the honour of preaching at the convention opening service Thursday morning. Then, unexpectedly (remember, this is Ukraine!) I was assigned to preach again Thursday evening. There was very intense discussion about how to prepare for the vicars who will now come into the congregations next spring when the academic portion of their studies have ended. This is a serious matter, since the church has virtually no funding to provide salaries for them, and any congregation accepting a vicar will need also to find a place for him and his family to live. In addition to the vicarage issue, the Synod also decided to establish a mission station in the city of Simferopol, the capital of the Crimean peninsula. With God’s blessing this may develop in time into a full-fledged congregation.

Of course, it’s a happy blessing to see brothers well known to our LCC people: Rev. Oleg Schewtschenko now serves the SELCU congregation here in Odessa, and actually lives in the seminary building. The work is going well, as are his contacts with university students and Muslims in the hope of bringing Christ to them in words and actions. Rev. Alexey Navrotsky was here from Dnepropetrovsk and will continue working on LCC’s behalf over the next several years with young adults at the Alpha and Omega Christian Student Society in that city, as well as pastoring the SELCU congregation there.

On the weekend, we took to the road. Bishop Graefenstein and a van-full of co-workers went with me 170 km north to the village of Ostrovka, where I preached for an afternoon service in the little house chapel. This congregation is hoping to establish a home for teenagers who need to learn how to manage everyday life in the vulnerable years after they leave orphanages. Children living in orphanages is a common situation in Ukraine because alcoholism and other problems sometimes prompt the civil state to take them from their parents.

Then, on Sunday morning, it was off to the city of Nikolayev, 140 km east of Odessa, where I preached for the regular service in our congregation there and spent time with the members afterward over coffee and sweet rolls.

It’s difficult to find the words to gather up everything experienced these past days. But it fills me with gratitude when I think of the bond of love between our church and this young Ukrainian synod, when I think of Rev. Dr. Norman Threinen and others who have sacrificed so much to provide pastoral training to this church, when I remember the early labours of Revs. Roland Syens and Keith Haberstock who forged ties in the early days of Ukraine’s independence which still exist for us to this day, and when I remember the generosity of the Concordia Lutheran Mission Society (CLMS), the Schwan Foundation, and many LCC pastors and congregations who have planted and watered here.

Well, friends, the garden is growing! Like all gardens, it doesn’t always grow as fast or as uninterrupted as we might like, but it is growing, just the same. I hope you’ll hold these people in your prayers and find ways to show them your love as God opens the door for you to do so.

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Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee is President of Lutheran Church–Canada.

His sermon—drawn from Isaiah 50:4-10 and entitled “But the Lord God helps me”—is now available online. Watch below:

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ST. CATHARINES, Ontario

Although the seminary can no longer offer the diary for free, the cost has been kept to $19 (plus shipping and GST) through the support of advertising. The diary is available though lulu.ca, an online, print-on-demand service. Order the diary online by searching it on lulu.ca or by following this direct link: http://www.lulu.com/shop/concordia-lutheran-theological-seminary/lutheran-pastors-desk-diary-2013/paperback/product-20487037.html. The diary will be shipped directly to you.

Base shipping cost in Canada is $5.99, but there are quantity discounts available—a good incentive for pastors and church workers to order together.

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ATLANTA, Georgia

Speaking on the topic of Witness (Martyría) to Lutheran church leaders—who collectively represent more than 20 million Lutherans—from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Australia, and North America, Dr. McGrath urged all Lutherans to “go back to this resource [Luther] to enrich the present-day mission.”

Dr. McGrath, a leading critic of New Atheism and an advocate of the importance of theology in apologetics, mission, evangelism, spirituality and social engagement, is also a former atheist whose interest and eventual conversion to Christianity was due in part to his reading of Luther.

Serving as keynote speaker to the International Conference on Confessional Leadership, sponsored by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Dr. McGrath set the stage for a series of follow-up responses from pastors from Taiwan, Nigeria, Brazil and England regarding the relevance and importance of Luther and the Lutheran church in the 21st century.

A failure to share Luther’s insights and the enduring confessional Lutheran perspective with the 21st century, noted Dr. McGrath, will result in a “treasure chest” of doctrine that will “remain unopened because the language isn’t understood.”

“It’s much easier to withdraw and not engage with anyone else,” Dr. McGrath admitted, “but Luther is a witness to the more uncomfortable truth that we need to be there at the intersection of Christ and culture, bearing witness to the Gospel.”

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Adapted from a news release from The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Image of Dr. McGrath is by Matthias Asgeirsson and is used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

ILC Executive (l-r): President Christian Ekong (Lutheran Church of Nigeria); President James Cerdeñola (Lutheran Church in the Philippines); President Gijsbertus van Hattem (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Belgium); Bishop Hans-Jörg Voigt (Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany); President Robert Bugbee (Lutheran Church–Canada) Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver III (The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod); Chairman Jon Ehlers (Evangelical Lutheran Church of England)

by Albert B. Collver III

ATLANTA, Georgia – On the 495^th anniversary of the Reformation, members of the International Lutheran Council’s (ILC) Executive Committee joined more than 120 global Lutheran leaders at the International Conference on Confessional Leadership to discuss the Lutheran Church in the 21^st century. The conference focused on the themes of Witness (Martyría), Mercy (Diakonía) and Life Together (Koinonía), with keynote presenters on each topic and responses from leaders in Asia, Africa, North America, South America, and Europe.

One of the speakers at the event, Rev. Dr. Jobst Schoene—Bishop emeritus of the Independent Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany (SELK)—observed that participants were “linked to each other as Lutherans who take their confession seriously. To express our God-given Koinonía, we get to take responsibility for each other.” But, he noted, “There is still a lot to do: more exchange, for instance, of theological discussion, exchange of teachers, of servants in the ministry. Mutual assistance and help in various fields. The practice of intercommunion and intercelebration where there is doctrinal agreement. And if that’s missing: to work for such agreement. Can we any longer afford to let Koinonía at the altar have a minor ranking among International Lutheran Council (ILC) churches?”

Rev. Dr. Albert B. Collver III, newly appointed ILC Executive Secretary, commented, “Right now we have a unique opportunity among world Lutherans who are interested in a church that confesses the Scriptures and the Book of Concord. And the ILC is composed of churches that take the Scriptures and the Book of Concord seriously. In light of the things that are going on in the world, the social upheavals, and unbiblical teachings, Lutherans around the world are looking for a church that takes these things seriously. The ILC is extremely happy to be at this conference representing 20-plus million Lutherans around the world. It is a tremendous opportunity for the ILC to promote its message.”

“We are using the opportunity to meet as the executive committee of the ILC and have the great pleasure to welcome Rev. Collver, our new executive secretary, while we attend the conference as church leaders from all parts of the ILC,” said Rev. Hans Jorg Voigt, Bishop of SELK and Chairman of the ILC.

“Of course, the concerns that bring all these people together… really overlap very strongly with the concerns of the ILC, and that’s to try to create a clear profile not only in our churches, but in the world of a faithful Lutheran witness,” noted Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee, President of Lutheran Church–Canada and Vice-Chairman of the ILC. “We all realize that there is a great openness to this sort of thing. It is a challenging time, and so we are very grateful that we are able to be included in this conference and have time to work on our ILC business as well.”

The conference was sponsored by The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and funded by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

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Rev. Dr. Albert Collver III is Executive Secretary for the International Lutheran Council and Director of Church Relations for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. This article is adapted from a Witness, Mercy, Life Together report.

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IRAN – The real bomb in Iran is not the nuclear bomb the Iranian government is believed to be developing, but the Bibles being distributed in that country. Iranians are coming to Christ in large numbers, and Christians need to pray for the ongoing growth and strengthening of the Iranian church.

This was the message delivered at Grace Lutheran Church (Osoyoos, B.C.) September 30 by a representative of Elam Ministries. Elam Ministries is a Christian organisation dedicated to taking the Gospel to the Iran region. It derives its name from the Old Testament name for Iran. Jeremiah 49:34-39 says that, in the last days, God will set his throne in Elam and restore the fortunes of Elam. Elam believes Jeremiah’s prophecy is being fulfilled in these days.

In chains for Christ

The Elam speaker (who cannot be named for security reasons) said that, prior to the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, only 500 Iranian Muslims were known to have converted to Christianity, despite freedom of religion in the country. Following 1979, foreign missionaries were expelled, several Iranian church leaders were martyred, and it became illegal to convert to Christianity and distribute Bibles in Iran.

The Iranian government believes that, by persecuting Christians and arresting its leaders, it will prevent the church from spreading in Iran, the speaker said. The facts suggest otherwise: the more the Iranian church is persecuted, the more it grows. Since the Islamic Republic of Iran was established in 1979, more than a million Iranian Muslims are believed to have accepted Jesus as their Saviour.

The more the Iranian church is persecuted, the more it grows.

Rev. Farshid Fathi

On Christmas Day 2010, the government arrested 70 Christian leaders, following a speech earlier than year in which Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for the eradication of Christianity in Iran. Although most of these Christians have since been released, one of them, Rev. Farshid Fathi, is still in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison serving a six-year sentence. His only crime is being a Christian.

“Please pray for Farshid,” the speaker said. “He is a shining beacon in Evin Prison for Christ.” There are currently around 20 Christian prisoners in Iran. The Elam speaker asked Christians to remember them in their prayers—that the Lord would strengthen them and enable them to share the Gospel with their guards and fellow prisoners.

The power of God’s Word

“Iranians living in Iran are the most open Muslim people to the Word of God today,” the speaker said. “People in Iran are desperate, because of the poor state of the economy, the political injustice, and the lack of freedom. Iran has the highest rate of drug addiction worldwide, Iranian women are oppressed, there are big problems with prostitution and abortion, and many are depressed.”

Iranian Muslims are crying out to God to help them, and He is answering their prayers. “Muslims are having dreams and visions about Jesus,” the speaker said. She related the testimonies of several Muslims who prayed to God to show them the way to know Him, who then met Christians, and were converted. She spoke of people who were given Persian-language New Testaments, who praised God, because they had been seeking the Bible for years.

In 2003, Elam published a new Persian-language translation of the New Testament. By 2012, one million copies of this New Testament had been given to Iranians inside Iran and in the Iran region. Elam’s vision is for a further million New Testaments to be distributed to Iranians.

Elam is now working on a Persian-language translation of the Old Testament and hopes to publish the complete Bible in Persian in 2013. It has translated the children’s Action Bible into Persian as well as classic Christian books. It also produces evangelistic satellite TV programs which are broadcast to Iran.

The closed land with open hearts

“Elam calls Iran ‘the closed land with the open hearts,’” the speaker said. “Iranian Christians have a passion to share Christ’s love with Iranian Muslims. The Christians know that, although they risk arrest for sharing their faith, the New Testaments they give Iranians are dynamite. The Bible is more powerful than the nuclear bomb the Iranian government is developing.” The Bible is changing Iran, the speaker said. “One woman who was offered a New Testament, refused to accept it, because she said: ‘I know that people who accept that book become Christians,’” she reported.

I know that people who accept that book become Christians.

“After an Iranian government TV program condemned the Bible in 2010, we had a record year for New Testament distribution in Iran,” the speaker said. “That TV program helped to promote the Bible, because Iranians are so disillusioned with the Islamic regime that they want to read anything the regime says is bad.” “It is God, not human beings, who is doing this amazing work in Iran,” said the speaker. “He is using the Word of God to change Iranians’ hearts, and to transform the nation of Iran.”

“Please pray that the Gospel will spread in Iran,” the speaker said. “Also, pray Iranian Christians will stand strong despite the persecution. God will hear our prayers and change Iran, as the door is open to the Gospel there. Also, as we pray for Iran, we begin to experience God’s love for Muslims, not just in Iran, but in our own countries of Canada and the US.”

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The author of this article remains anonymous for security reasons. To learn more about Elam, visit www.elam.com and www.iran30.org, where you can order Iran 30, Elam’s guide to praying for Iran. The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church provides resources for remembering Christians suffering for the faith at www.idop.ca.

For more information on Iranians embracing Christianity, read Christianity Today’s July article “The Other Iranian Revolution” by Lutheran authors Matthias Pankau and Uwe Siemon-Netto.

Image of Rev. Fathi is courtesy of Elam. Banner art is based on an image of the Catholic church in Tabriz, Iran released under the Creative Commons Attributed-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

In the United States, President Matthew Harrison of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod (LCMS) issued a letter thanking God that “no deaths among LCMS members have been reported,” but also noting they “anticipate rapidly growing demand for assistance with transitional housing, essential transportation, replacement food and medication, and more.”

“Now is the moment for the saints who know so clearly that all they for time and eternity is a gift,” he continued, “to sacrifice for those who are in need. Right now, LCMS Lutherans are rescuing, caring for, and binding up the wounds of their friends, families, and non-Lutheran neighbors. It’s time to help them in the name and for the sake of Christ.”

Lutheran Church–Canada is calling on its members to remember those affected by Hurricane Sandy in prayer. It has released a prayer which congregations may wish to use this Sunday:

“Gracious God, Lord, heavenly Father, Your mercies endure forever and Your Word can still the storms. You bring peace to our lives. We humbly implore You to be present with all who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy. Reveal Your compassion; alleviate their pain and suffering. Give hope to the discouraged, and comfort to those who have lost loved ones. Help the people to rebuild their lives and homes. We implore You to assist relief workers, Your Christian Church near and far to reach out with the love of Jesus Christ to support those who suffer. In the midst of this calamity, may people be touched by Your love and learn to trust in You above all. Hear us for the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.”

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by Leonardo Neitzel

In October 2012, Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) congregations and individual members in Winnipeg and other areas are celebrating the first year finished of a two-year Bible reading plan. With the help of the Holy Spirit, and inspired by LCC’s 2011 national convention’s theme—“in your light we see light” (Psalm 36:9)—we resolved to read God’s Word on a regular basis—individually, congregationally, or in families and groups of friends—“letting the Word of Christ dwell in us richly’’ (Colossians 3:16).

On October 3, 2011 we started into the first chapter of Genesis. Today we are reading through the Prophet Isaiah. It is important to mention that this is not a competition; it’s nor a race for personal achievements or trophies. Some are behind the proposed schedule, some are on target, and some may even be ahead in their reading. Others are just thinking of getting started. The point is not to discover who’s “best,” but instead to make the Word of God our precious companion in our daily life. We want to read, abide in, meditate, learn, and grow spiritually through the Word of our Lord on a regular basis.

We have experienced and witnessed amazing blessings in the first year of our two-year journey through the Bible. “The Word of God in us” is without doubt helping us to see that we need not be ashamed, as the Holy Spirit helps us to “correctly handling the Word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). It helps us to grow in our Christian walk and witness, bringing about the results promised by our Lord: “So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).

Luther and the Holy Scripture

The front page of Luther's German translation of the Bible, 1541 edition.

As we celebrate the Lutheran Reformation, we praise and thank our Lord God for His servant Martin Luther. Luther couldn’t have done a thing without having the Word of God in his life. The Holy Spirit led him through that Word to see the Light, to find Christ and salvation. He struggled with the Lord in the Word day and night. He worried particularly over the word “righteousness.” Luther knew he was not righteous on his own. Then, when studying “righteousness” in Romans 1:17, was suddenly understood: he was embraced and saved by Christ’s righteousness—saved through His suffering, death, and resurrection. This is how Luther later remembered that ‘Tower experience’ (1516/17):

I meditated night and day on those words until at last, by the mercy of God, I paid attention to their context: “The justice of God is revealed in it, as it is written: ‘The just person lives by faith.’” I began to understand that in this verse the justice of God is that by which the just person lives by a gift of God, that is by faith. I began to understand that this verse means that the justice of God is revealed through the Gospel, but it is a passive justice, i.e. that by which the merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written: “The just person lives by faith.” All at once I felt that I had been born again and entered into paradise itself through open gates. Immediately I saw the whole of Scripture in a different light. I ran through the Scriptures from memory and found that other terms had analogous meanings, e.g., the work of God, that is, what God works in us; the power of God, by which he makes us powerful; the wisdom of God, by which he makes us wise; the strength of God, the salvation of God, the glory of God.

Inspired and encouraged by Luther’s Sola Scriptura (“Scripture alone”), we are bold to be the people of God who hold fast to the Word of truth, “not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). The Reformation calls us to steadfastness in the Word in a world antagonistic towards that Word.

The people of this world have lost their connection to God; they are adrift on tormented and raging seas. All kinds of sea monsters rise up to drown them—immorality, violence, unbelief, egocentrism, worship of self, and others. These people cannot survive without a compass—the Only Compass, the Word of life. They cannot survive with an anchor—the Only Anchor, Jesus Christ. Through Holy Scripture, we know the unfortunate, final destination of all who reject Christ. But on the other hand, we know the blessing, treasure, and abounding wealth here and in eternity promised to those who let the Word abide in them and believe in the One spoken of in Scripture.

Our congregations and the Holy Scripture

God’s people are called to join in the proclamation of the Word of God and to persevere in the fellowship of believers, in prayers, and in the breaking of bread (Acts 2:42). Lutheran liturgy and services are founded on the unchanging Word and are Christ-centered. We rejoice over the forgiveness we receive from God through ministers following our corporate confession of sin. We rejoice in sharing the peace of Christ with one another. The Scripture passages appointed to read in our services are treasures which keep us focused on Jesus Christ and on the doctrines of the Christian faith. Our pastors’ sermons are well balanced with Law and Gospel, are Christ-centered, and encourage us in our Christian life and witness. Our hymns are a source of comfort, strength, and joy. For no less reason did King David confess: “O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells” (Psalm 26:8).

The Holy Spirit is active through our hearing and He helps us to echo the Word in daily life.

As we depart from worship, we are called to put the Word into practice. The Apostle James admonishes us, saying, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). The Holy Spirit is active through our hearing and He helps us to echo the Word in daily life. It is not difficult for someone to find out whether a Christian’s words and actions are directed by the Word of God or by himself—whether his actions are substantiated by his faith or whether they are just self-promoting empty talk. His words and actions are a witness of what is or is not on his heart. Jesus tells us that “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34), and Martin reminds us what faith in the heart looks like in outward practice:

Faith is a divine work in us that transforms us and begets us anew from God, kills the Old Adam, makes us entirely different people in heart, spirit, mind, and all our powers, and brings the Holy Spirit with it. Oh, faith is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, so that it is impossible for it not to be constantly doing what is good. Likewise, faith does not ask if good works are to be done, but before one can ask, faith has already done them and is constantly active.

Those who abide regularly in God’s Word on an individual basis and in families, in reading and meditating, in teaching and transmitting it to their children glean many blessings for this life and for eternity. This is what we have witnessed through the Bible reading plan we are currently engaged in. It helps to keep us connected to Christ and to one another, as we study God’s Word together.

Some congregations have started larger Bible study groups based on the reading plan. Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit continues motivating LCC members to make Bible reading a priority in their lives. As our physical body needs to be nurtured to live, so does our soul through the Bread of Life. And when you come across difficult passages, take note and bring your questions to your pastor. He’s there to help you better understand the Scriptures.

We are nearing Advent now, and the beginning of a new Church Year. What a wonderful thing it would be for our church and family to commit to a journey through the Holy Scriptures on a regular basis. It is one of the best ways in which we can spend our time—sitting at the feet of our Lord, in His Word, in His fellowship, receiving His shining Light as He directs us through this life on our journey to eternity.

What a wonderful thing it would be for our church and family to commit to a journey through the Holy Scriptures on a regular basis.

The heavens rejoice when God’s people take the Word of God seriously in their lives—when they are faithful and committed to studying and meditating on it. This can only benefit individual Christians personally and the Church in its mission and ministry at large. When we pay heed to the Word, we grow up. “We will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:14-15).

The Holy Scriptures in daily witness

As the Christian abides in God’s Word, the Holy Spirit immerses us more deeply in the love of Jesus Christ, and we are enabled to love and appreciate His love more fully. The Holy Spirit leads the Christian to absorb the Word, to memorize it, and then to remember it in times of need. Silent reflection on God’s Word, or the uttering of it becomes a normal part of the Christian’s life. It becomes easier to chase away the devil’s temptation, just as Jesus did when He was tempted: “Away from me, Satan! For it is written. . .” (Matthew 4:10).  As King David writes, “The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip” (Psalm 37:30-31).

Likewise, the Christian becomes better equipped for his prayers as he prays God’s Word. He will have greater knowledge of Scripture, and a greater ability to transmit and convey comfort and strength to those in need; to admonish lovingly those who err; to apply God’s Word to people (and themselves) in major (and minor) life situations. The Christian learns to rely on God’s Word rather than his own understanding. He will let God be God through His Word as he transmits it. As the author of Hebrews says: “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

In 1532, Luther wrote: “For some years now, I have read through the Bible twice every year. If you picture the Bible to be a mighty tree and every word a little branch, I have shaken every one of these branches because I wanted to know what it was and what it meant.” We would do well to imitate Luther in this way.

For some years now, I have read through the Bible twice every year. If you picture the Bible to be a mighty tree and every word a little branch, I have shaken every one of these branches because I wanted to know what it was and what it meant.

It was the power of the Word and the Holy Spirit in Luther’s life that led him to faith in Christ. It was the Word which led him to reject error and to proclaim anew the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we abide in this same Gospel, we must not keep it to ourselves alone. Luther worked to confess it to the world, through his teachings and translation of Scripture. We learn from him anew that the way to heaven is through the Word—trough faith in the merits of Jesus Christ on behalf of all sinners. Luther proclaimed faithfully this Word in his preaching, teaching, and writing. And his legacy is left to us who now bear his name: to immerse ourselves in God’s Word, and to confess Jesus and His Gospel throughout the world, so that many may, at last, come to believe in Him.

- SDG -

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Rev. Dr. Leonardo Neitzel is Lutheran Church–Canada’s Executive for Missions and Social Ministry.

LONDON, Ontario

In April, M.P. Stephen Woodworth introduced Motion 3112, which called for a committee to study the definition of human life—specifically, Canada’s 400 year old law which states a child is not human until fully born. While the motion was defeated by Parliament in September, it significantly increased public discussion of life-rights in Canada.

Lutherans for Life-Canada is a pro-life, pro-family ministry whose mission is to “witness to the sanctity of human life through education based on the Word of God.” It acts as a biblical, pro-life voice and resource to Lutherans.

Watch the broadcast online at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/lutheransforlife.

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Scenario: It’s dark outside. Everybody in your village is in bed. It seems just like every other night when a loud banging comes from the door. Your heart sinks. They’ve come. They’ve come for you. You know you’ll never return. You will probably never see your family again because they’ve come to take you far away… To a place you don’t want to go… To a prison camp. Your crime? You’re a Christian.

This may sound like a scene from a futuristic, dystopian novel or from the days when Christians were fed to the lions in Rome. But it’s neither fiction nor ancient history. It was the experience of many men and women who lived in the Soviet Union at a time when a paranoid Stalin began his political purges.

Jakob Seel was just one man who lived through this period. A Lutheran pastor and teacher in the 1930s, he slowly found himself stripped of his purpose in life. They took away his church, his school, his choir. He was forced into hiding his most precious possession: his Bible.

This was also a time when neighbour was pitted against neighbour. Even children were enticed to turn in their parents. The fear was real. Men were carted off by the truckloads to face false accusations, imprisonment, exile, and death. When Jakob’s family finally was able to escape the Soviet Union in 1943, only a handful of men were left in their village.

Rev. Roberto Munoz, vacancy pastor at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Smithville, Ontario, is one of Jakob’s descendants. He grew up listening to these stories. He was always particularly struck by Jakob’s story and felt that others needed to hear it.

Rev. Munoz found that platform in 2006 when his theatre ministry branched out into making films. In 2009, he wrote Under Jakob’s Ladder and got a team together to film his great-grandfather’s story. “It was made to remind us that there is hope,” he says, “even in the darkest places. Jakob’s story ultimately is one of hope.”

When Jakob found himself stripped of everything, he found that he had the freedom to speak the truth. Ironically it was in the confines of a detention camp that he could discuss with his fellow inmates the salvation of a risen Saviour. And so he could sing again, much as Paul and Silas once had sung hymns of praise to God in their prison cell.

It was not easy. It never is. It wasn’t easy for Jakob’s wife, daughter, and grandchildren to flee the Soviet Union. Today, what Christians face is different, but nonetheless real. We face a growing marginalizing of the Church. The threat is subtle but no less corrosive. And one wonders if it starts with Sunday-morning sports and entertainment that crowd out the worship of God. Where will it end?

Still God will always be with us, even when we’re afraid, or don’t know what to do. Jakob’s greatest fear was to be carted off to the prison camp. This however would turn out to be one of the greatest blessings of his life. For it was in prison, that he realized there was nothing left to take but his life. And so as he gathered the courage to share his hope and faith with his fellow inmates he became a light of God in a very dark place until that Light took him to the place of eternal light and glory.

Under Jakob’s Ladder was produced by CubeCity Entertainment. The film is now available on DVD. To arrange a showing of the film at your church, contact CubeCity here. Watch the trailer below:

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by Peggy Pedersen

On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed 95 Theses on the door of Wittenberg Cathedral. If that hammer could have announced the seismic changes to come in Europe and the Christian Church, its echoes would have shook the world. Today, however, it is hardly more than a whisper.

For many Protestant churches, it has been like the “telephone” game, where a little was added here, a little changed there, a little taken away somewhere else. The general population has now moved into a post-Christian era, where differences in Christian theological tenets matter less than choices on the restaurant menu.

So is the Reformation still relevant today?

We could rephrase the question in this way: “Is the Gospel of Jesus Christ still relevant today?” For that is what the Reformation was about: the salvation Christ won for the world. In proclaiming justification by faith alone, through God’s grace alone and not by our own merit and works, the gates were opened for millions to know God’s mercy. The Reformation was about the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ—which is why the Lutheran church’s first name was “Evangelical,” coming from the Greek for “good news.”

Sola fide

I came to the Reformation backwards, having been a Baptist and then a Presbyterian. After a long and winding road trying to merit divine mercy, God sent a Lutheran preacher to speak to me the message of grace: “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). The words had the same force and power they did when Luther rediscovered them, for one simple reason: they’re not Luther’s words; they’re God’s.

This first principle of the Reformation we call sola fide: “faith alone.” Lutherans teach that we add nothing to salvation; Christ does everything. If we do not stand firm on this point, Luther taught, all is lost. The Christian gains salvation through faith alone.

This does not mean that we put our faith in our faith, but rather that our faith relies on God’s promises and what Christ has done for us. In Christ, we find assurance of salvation—something we could never have if we had to look for sufficient sincerity, repentance, or prayer in ourselves. Instead we cling securely to the promise of Christ: “Whoever lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:26).

Sola gratia

The second principle of the Reformation, also drawn from Ephesians, is sola gratia: “grace alone.”

The established church was quite happy to acknowledge the role of faith and grace in salvation, of course. It was that little word “alone” they couldn’t stand. To claim no works were necessary for justification seemed to fly in the face of reason.

Many people in Luther’s day believed God justified the righteous (“good people”) and damned sinners (“bad people”) to hell. But Luther found in Scriptures this truth: God justifies sinners, purely by His own free will, solely based on what Christ has done. God did not save those who were trying to do their best or who were the most improved, but instead those who came empty-handed—or not empty handed, but with hands full of sin. Luther said we are saved by “sheer grace.” For Luther, the Scriptures were clear: justification is 100% Christ and 0% us, and any attempt to increase our percentage is heresy.

For Luther, the Scriptures were clear: justification is 100% Christ and 0% us.

Solo Christo

This leads to the next principle, solo Christo: “by Christ alone.” Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Luther’s theology was grounded in the incarnation. Christ’s incarnation—His becoming human—was necessary for our salvation. He lived, died, and rose again for us. The entire Bible is a revelation of Christ, and it is in Him that that God desires to be known. In Christ, God has hidden in plain sight, revealing His desire to save mankind. He puts off His heavenly glory, is born of human flesh and dies naked, nailed to a cross to save us.

And so we rely on Him, not ourselves, knowing He did not come to show us the way but to be the Way for us. God transfers Christ’s perfect righteousness to us, taking away from us the sin we inherited from Adam. There is no way to obtain Christ’s righteousness except by being united to Him in faith.

He did not come to show us the way but to be the Way for us.

Sola Scriptura

The other “sola” is sola scriptura: “Scripture alone.” This doesn’t mean that we should throw out all tradition. Some early reformers tried to do that, but Luther taught us to keep those traditions which are scriptural. Other traditions may also be kept, he said, if the congregation and church wanted them, so long as they did not contradict Scripture.

What the teaching of sola scriptura did was set God’s Word above all earthly authority, including the Pope’s. It confirmed that Christ is head of the church, and it is His Word, not our interpretation of it, that must be the judge of truth. The Word of God interprets itself. Scripture must be read as a whole, not extracted as proof texts out of context. That’s why we follow the Lutheran Confessions: because they agree with Scripture.

God’s Word is alive and active. Through it, the Holy Spirit works to convict us of sin: this is the Law. It leads us to repent of all the things we are and do that displease God. But the Bible doesn’t leave us in despair: the Gospel Word speaks forgiveness and comfort to us. The Gospel is that Christ is “for you”— He loved you and gave Himself “for you.” He accomplished everything necessary for your salvation. When Christ died, He said, “It is finished.” The Reformation Lutheran knows there is a period at the end of that sentence.

So what?

The teachings Lutheran theologians have handed down to us are precious treasures—not because of tradition but because they are the true doctrines of Christianity. If you look at our Confessions, you will see references to Scripture over and over again. The authors knew that, if something contradicted God’s Word, then no matter how beautiful, ancient, impressive, and reasonable it may appear, it is not pleasing to God. The Reformation matters because the reformers were proclaiming God’s unchanging Word.

So what can the Reformers teach us today?

The Reformation focuses us on the true mission of the Church. The Church is God’s kingdom, and it is where He bestows His gifts on His people. It is where His Truth is proclaimed. Sermons must not just talk about Jesus, but deliver Him. When we lose sight of this, we can become confused as to our purpose. We are drawn to adopt the marketing model of business, the numbers-model of mega-churches, the social service model of charitable institutions, or, worst of all, to feel we need to “update” our doctrine and practices to meet the changing philosophies and mores of the world. Christ has told us that we are to be in the world but not of it. We can learn from the Reformation the importance of using media to spread the Gospel, but always remembering that it is the Holy Spirit creating faith in human hearts through His Word, not our methods.

Above all

The Reformation taught us we must, above all, know and cling to God’s Word. All who depart from it lose their way. In our age there is a great falling-away, with many paths offering enticements and ease. The path of the cross appears bitter, and many turn aside to follow paths that seem sweeter, more culturally acceptable and “tolerant,” yet are lifeless. Lutherans, having learned that biblical truth is often in paradox, know that the path of glory leads to sorrow and the path of the cross leads to joy.

The Reformation taught us we must, above all, know and cling to God’s Word.

Every other religion teaches we must bring something to the table—merit, love, works, obedience, improved lives, or sincerity. The result is either pride or despair. But Lutherans call out “No! Salvation is a totally undeserved gift from start to finish! God gives even the faith to believe and accept it!” We must continue proclaiming this, not only in our Confessions but also in how we worship and in our daily lives. If we cease, the Word of God will not cease. But it will pass us by, a relic of our former selves, and instead be put on other tongues, or the stones will cry out: “Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Sola Scriptura, Solo Christo! Here we stand; we can do no other.”

We simply have the best news anyone can hear. Like an Olympic baton, the gift of God has been passed on to us from God through our forefathers in the faith. We are called to take up where they left off: to learn, proclaim, defend and pass along the faith to our generation and the next, because it is not the doctrine of men but the pure Gospel of Christ. The relevance of that is beyond measure, for the treasure itself is beyond measure. Soli Deo Gloria. “To God alone be the glory!”

“That which you have, therefore, hold fast until
I come” (Revelation 2:25).

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Peggy Pedersen is a freelance writer in Victoria, B.C., where she is a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church.

A major portion of time was dedicated to re-evaluating LCC’s 2009 Strategic Plan. BOD members broke into small groups to discuss specific directions of the plan in greater detail—examining whether LCC had achieved its goals over the past triennium, what areas still needed improvement, and what emendations to the Strategic Plan were necessary. During these discussions, the BOD welcomed input from LCC’s Executive for Missions Rev. Dr. Leonardo Neitzel, Treasurer Dwayne Cleave, and Communications Manager Mathew Block on sections of the strategic plan related to their areas of expertise. The discussions will help guide LCC’s BOD over the next triennium.

At the meeting, Dr. Neitzel highlighted the series of Bible studies on the Strategic Plan recently released by LCC. The series of studies explores how LCC’s strategic directions can impact the mission and ministry of every congregation and member of Lutheran Church–Canada. Dr. Neitzel encouraged members to use the Bible studies in their own congregations. The series of studies can be found at www.lutheranchurch.ca/strategy.

Among other topics, the BOD heard reports on missions, communications, church relations, finances, and seminary education. The last topic generated considerable discussion, as First Vice-President Nolan Astley revealed potential seminary recruitment strategies being discussed by the Council of Presidents.

Meetings ran smoothly throughout the three days, barring some minor sleep deprivation Friday morning; out-of-town members of the BOD had their sleep interrupted Thursday night when a small fire broke out in the hotel where they were staying.

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